American Konoha (Alt Universe Story)
by TheFemaleReviewer
Summary: Imagine if Naruto and Sasuke were in the year 2013 right along with us as juniors in high school. But this isn't a normal "Konoha High School" story. Follow Naruto and Sasuke as they deal with a lot of 21st century problems, like drugs, school, and kickass parties, all the while, trying find their place in the modern world. (NaruSasu/SasuNaru)
1. Chapter 1

Alternate Universe Story 5

Naruto

*Algerbra II*

It all started when I made the mistake of flunking Algerbra II. The teacher gave me a deal.

"Look, Naruto." He began. "I really, really don't want to fail you."

I'd heard the story about a thousand times and it always ended with the teacher failing me anyway so shoved my hands into my pockets and pretended there were bubbles popping around his head.

"But if you can ace one group project... Just one." He told me. "I'll pass you."

My eyebrows jumped up and I looked at him in shock.

"You'd really do that Iruka Sensei?" I asked him.

He smiled.

"Of course. I know you're a good kid, Naruto. You just need some help. That's why I'm going to give you access to _all_ the help you need."

At the time, I just assumed he meant a couple textbooks with the answers in the back or a cheat sheet and almost jumped for joy at the aspect of being rewarded and not punished for failing. But then, I ran into the rest of the deal.

"You can come in now!"

The door opened and a boy with jet black feathery hair, dark eyes and pale skin strode into the room.

"Naruto Uzumaki, meet Sasuke Uchiha." He said, grinning at what I'm sure he thought was a hilarious joke. "Your project partner."

I turned to Iruka, slack jawed. He held his finger up, daring me to complain.

"If you fail Algebra, you'll be kicked off the soccer team." He reminded me. "So, which is better...doing one simple project and keeping your extracurriculars or losing it all?"

_But why does it have to be _him_?_

"I'll do it." I said simply.

Sasuke hadn't made eye contact with me that entire time but slowly, his eyes rose to mine.

"Don't think I'm doing this just out of the goodness of my heart." He told me. "The more hopeless idiots I tutor, the more collateral I get for scholarships."

_I could've thrown up..._

So, five days later, I was sitting in the living room of my one story ranch house going over Algebraic equations that this asshole insisted I need to know if we do the project correctly.

"It's simple." He went on. "The numerical formula is nothing more or less than substitutions for symbols."

The way he spoke, it was like everyone and everything were beneath him. It was only our fourth day working on the project together but I felt like I'd been working on it with him for _years_...

"Once you understand the meaning behind the symbols, work through the problem and answer accordingly."

_It's like he believes he's some kind of award winning scientist...which I'm sure he _will_ be someday..._

"Are you even listening?"

I blinked, clearing the glaze that had most likely grown over my eyes.

"Yeah." I lied.

"How are we going to do a project about the extra mathematically proven dimensions of the universe if you can't even understand Trigonometry." He said, condescendingly.

I put my head on my arms and sighed.

"This is Algebra." I muttered. "No one said anything about Trig."

"It's all connected." He pointed out. "But what would _you_ know... You're just a jock, right?"

I balled my fists.

_I'm sure Iruka- Sensei is getting a big laugh out of pairing me with this guy. Knowing full well we've never held a conversation in our lives and were more opposite than night and day... _

He nudged me.

"Usuratonkachi." he muttered. "Get back to work."

"At this point, I feel like I'd rather just fail." I muttered.

He was silent for a while and then he sighed.

"Look." He said, grabbing my collar and forcing my head up.

I reluctantly pulled my head up as he scribbled some numbers down on the paper.

"SOHCAHTOA." I read. "What the hell is that?"

"Your ticket to passing." He said.

He went over it briefly and though I didn't understand it completely, I could finally see a slither of light in the dark tunnel I called math.

"If you can, at least, understand how to work around a right triangle and explain how it works like how I just explained it to you, then I'll do the rest." He said.

"Why didn't you just do this earlier?!" I exclaimed.

He ignored me.

"Can you draw?" he asked.

I shrugged, reflecting on a memory of marking up some poor unsuspecting person's walls with blue, red and green crayon as a child. I considered my art work to be pretty decent.

"Then just work on drawing out examples that you can hold up and I'll do all the talking." He said.

I glanced over him quickly. He wore khaki colored skinny jeans and a navy blue, red and white plaid shirt with a navy blue cardigan over it, both rolled up to his elbows. He always dressed like he was going to a photo shoot or something. It struck me as something a showoff would do.

I was very well acquainted with Sasuke Uchiha. Not personally. I'd never even spoken to the guy until the day Iruka Sensei introduced us but he was in almost every single one of my classes. Always making the highest grades. The kind of kid you hate on sight because he makes all the slackers look worse than they would have otherwise. And also, very quiet and observant. He usually wore dark colors, too. Most people pegged him as the emo, loner type. But he was the prospective valedictorian so even though no one knew him, everyone still knew _of_ him.

I worked on drawing out perfect triangles and making diagrams for them as Sasuke worked out problems we'd be displaying in our presentation.

"So, you're really willing to just fail like that?" he asked me suddenly.

I paused what I was doing and slowly looked up at him.

_That's the first time he's ever addressed me without sounding like an asshole..._

"Yeah." I replied. "Not like anyone around here cares anyway. All I wanted was to keep my grades high enough to stay on the soccer team. But if that doesn't happen, fuck it. I'll just go to the military."

"Spoken like a true jock."

I rolled my eyes.

_Spoke too soon._

"So, what?! Just because I'm not so uptight about my grades like you, Emo boy?"

He grimaced, continuing to look down at his paper.

"Emo boy?" he asked. "Is that what people call me? I wasn't aware..."

I paused for a second, taking in his facial expression. Somehow, he seemed downcast. Then suddenly, he looked up at me with his usual emotionless attitude.

"Get back to work."

I shook my head and bent down over my paper.

_Right... No way the all-serious Sasuke Uchiha would ever show a sign of weakness..._

A guy like him didn't even know the meaning of true hardship. He'd never failed a test a day in his life. He was incredibly clean-cut and aloof. Just looking at him in school made me pissed, like he thought he was better than everyone or something just because he got good grades and never wore jeans. Girls threw themselves at him left and right but he'd never shown any interest. Just another way for him to show that he was too good...

I was glad when it edged around 7pm.

"Maybe we should call it a-"

The door swung open loudly. I turned to see Tsunade pulling a pissed looking Konohamaru into the house angrily.

"Do you _have_ to cause problems everywhere you go?!" she yelled.

I glanced back at Sasuke wearily but he was already stacking his books. I raised my eyebrows.

"Eager to leave?"

"I have a curfew." He said curtly. "I didn't realize the time."

I watched as he pulled on his backpack, which was more like a messenger bag that went over his left shoulder and hung down across his chest on his right hip, and grabbed his keys.

"We'll probably just have to meet one more time." He said. "Since it'll be due on Monday. See you tomorrow afternoon."

I opened my mouth to say something but my noisy house interrupted me.

"Just leave me alone!" Konohamaru yelled, running around the corner.

There was a very audible door slam a couple seconds later. Sasuke, the king of disinterest, left the table quickly and wordlessly. Tsunade leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed as Sasuke hurried past her.

After the door closed with a clean "click", Tsunade pushed a cigarette into her mouth and blew the smoke out in my direction.

"So, now I don't even get to know who your new friends are?"

"He's not my friend." I said, quickly leaving the room.

*Konohamaru*

I loped down the hallway pausing in front of Konohamaru's door.

"Hey." I said, knocking quietly.

I heard the bedsprings creak and a second later, the door opened and he poked his head out.

"What happened?" I asked.

He was looking down. His dark brown hair was mostly covered by a dark gray beanie. He played with the doorknob.

"Shit." He replied.

"Like...?"

"It was all Ebisu Sensei's fault! He's had it out for me since day one!"

"What happened, man?" I repeated.

He rolled his eyes and leaned up against the door frame.

"I punched him the face, okay?!"

"The _teacher_?" I asked, eyes wide.

"I told him to get out of my face." he muttered. "It's not my fault if he didn't take the warning."

"What the hell did he do?"

"He made me read a passage out of the textbook..." he began.

_Uh oh..._

"And when I kept messing up the words, the kids started laughing at me. So, I told them to fuck off or else I'd kick their asses. And I was about to beat up this one kid, too, but then Ebsui got all up in my face."

He started cracking his knuckles, something I noticed he did when he was irritated.

"He said he'd call my Mom if I didn't sit back down and start reading again. And I told him that if I _had _a Mom, I'd call her my damn self." He said. "He wouldn't back up and kept trying to threaten me, so I punched him. Big deal."

I shook my head.

Even though punching an entire teacher was definitely going to get him expelled and/or sent to juvie, I couldn't help but admire him. He had some serious balls. That's why I didn't mind having him as a foster brother.

"So how did Tsunade end up in all this?" I asked.

"The principal called her after they expelled me." he said. "Hell if I care."

"How many times do you have to fail the fifth grade before you learn your lesson?" I asked. "At this rate, you'll graduate when you're forty."

"So what?" he asked. "I'll just join the military."

_...Doesn't _that_ sound familiar? _

I pulled his hat down over his face and pushed him back into his room.

"Go to school, man." I shouted to him. "You'll live longer!"

"Whatever!" he said before closing the door.

I walked back into the living room where Tsunade sat with her feet up on the table covering my Algebra work. I shoved my hands into my pockets.

"Hey!"

She glanced at me.

"What do you want?" she asked. "Food? I'm not cooking anything."

"Since when do you _ever _cook!?" I retorted.

She took a swig of some alcohol in a bottle on the table and squinted at me.

"Hopefully, you're not here to nitpick because I'll tell you ahead of time, I don't give a damn."

"It's about Konohamaru." I said.

"That bastard child?" she asked.

She was seriously ticking me off. One of the main reasons I avoided talking to her.

"You should take him to a therapist or something." I went on. "Or else he's going to keep getting kicked out of school."

She continued drinking.

"It's not his fault he has dyslexia and he can't read in class but he needs to learn how to deal with his anger issues."

She put her cigarette out on my math notebook.

_And now she's testing _my_ anger issues..._

"I'm serious." I said.

Finally, she made direct eye contact with me.

"I never wanted to be a mother, you know?" she said. "But the feds told me, the only way I could squeeze out of all my gambling debts was if I became a foster parent."

I rolled my eyes.

_The same damn story..._

"And now I'm busting ass, going to work, trying to provide for a couple of insolent brats who aren't even mine and you've got the nerve to tell me that I need to pay EXTRA money for a damn therapist?!" she asked, voice rising with each syllable.

"You don't even _go_ to work!" I protested. "All you do is collect unemployment!"

"That's because I'm sick! How dare you ask a sick woman to pay money that she doesn't have?!" she spat at me.

_We're just going to go around in circles... Like we do _every_ time I ask her for something._

"I'm paying all this money for him to go to school!" she went on. "The least he can do is pass the damn grade without them interrupting my precious time to pick him up every other day!"

"You don't _pay_ for public school, you idiot!" I shouted over her.

She glared at me.

"What the hell did you just call me?"

I said nothing. She plucked the cigarette out of her mouth and blew another puff of smoke out at me.

"Why don't_ you_ get a job and buy him a therapist yourself if you're so worried about him?" she asked me. "I don't have time for something as ridiculous as that."

"Maybe I will." I muttered, grabbing my jacket and heading toward the front door.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

"Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" I shouted back.

I passed the hallway on my way to the front door and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Konohamaru leaning against the wall next to his bedroom. We locked eyes momentarily and then I pulled the door open and swung it closed.

*Soccer*

The truth was, I had no idea where I was going. Usually, when I fought with Tsunade I walked around the block a couple times to clear my head and then came back. But at that time, I had no intention of going back. I ended up in Kiba's backyard about an hour later throwing pebbles at his bedroom window on the second floor. Kiba was one of my soccer teammates. He was a forward, just like I was. We practiced together a lot but we weren't like best friends or anything. My life at home was so hectic, I'd never really gotten close to friends because I was worried they'd find out about my dysfunctional family.

Kiba slowly raised his bedroom window and peeked out.

"Dude, it's like 9pm on a school night." He said. "What do you want?"

"Perfect time for a soccer rematch." I said. "Or are you too much of a bitchass?"

I could tell just by the way his bottom lip curled up that I had him.

"Wait right there."

Kiba was an incredibly simple guy. He never turned down a bet. Ever.

My mind wandered back to a time at the beginning of the year when I was just getting to know my main clique. Choji and Shikamaru, two close friends of ours who weren't soccer players, came camping with us in the forest.

I dipped my hand into the water and shot back up onto the shore.

"Shit! That water is cold!" I exclaimed.

Choji dipped his own finger in and agreed.

"Yeah, let's put our sleeping bags down further up the shore."

"What?!" Kiba asked. "But the sunrise will be perfect from this angle. Naruto's just a bitch, he's probably lying."

I grinned, understanding "gang" initiation perfectly. Even though Shikamaru was too lazy to pick on me and Choji was too hungry, Kiba had been giving me a bit of a tough time. But I was a common street kid, I knew exactly how to "earn my stripes".

"Why don't you try it?" I asked.

He lifted his head cockily and reached down to put his hand it.

"Not like that." I said, nudging him. "Let's make it fun. Why don't you skinny dip? If you're so confident it's not cold."

He appraised me. I kept eye contact with him. Choji whistled as he munched on a bag of chips. Shikamaru didn't even glance up from his cellphone.

"This is so bothersome..." He muttered as he texted.

"Fine." Kiba said, immediately removing his shirt.

I got Shikamaru to video tape Kiba with his phone as he dove head first into the freezing cold January water.

"AGHHH!" he screamed. "Sofaking cold! Sofaking cold!"

Choji and I were rolling around in the dirt laughing our asses off and Shikamaru could barely hold his phone still. Kiba wadded out of the water with deadly pale skin, shivering from head to toe. Suddenly, he grabbed his crotch and started hoping around.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"

We all stared at him running around in circles.

"There's fucking leeches on my balls!" he shouted.

I stared at Choji, both of our faces twitched and we burst into laughter again.

"I'm serious. There's leeches on my balls, dude!" he shouted, running toward us.

"Hey! Don't bring that shit over here!" I yelled at him, through the laughter.

"They won't come off!" Kiba exclaimed, with his voice cracking.

_That video's _still_ on Youtube's funniest douchebag moments to this day..._

"What the hell are you smiling about?" Kiba asked me.

We were walking to the nearby soccer field and I was still grinning from that memory.

"Oh nothing, just leeches." I joked.

He scoffed.

"I got you back later for that anyway."

I rolled my eyes.

"It's not getting me back if you did it, too." I pointed out.

Kiba dared me to get a crazy tattoo on my face and, smartly, I dared him to do the same thing. So we were both sitting there with ink needles inches above our faces when the tattoo artist asked me what I wanted.

"Uh... I don't know." I said, shrugging. "Something simple."

Kiba already knew what he wanted, red stripes. I didn't want to get something _that_ bold but I didn't want to turn down the bet either.

"Just give me some whiskers." I said, imaging a lion. "Three on each side."

"Got it." The guy said, bringing the needle to life.

I acted as goalie. Kiba kicked the ball to me and it cleared my head and hit the net behind me.

"You suck, man!" he called.

I rolled my eyes and kicked it back to him.

"Coming from the guy who hasn't scored all season!" I retorted.

"What are you talking about, dude?" he asked. "I score all the time at practice!"

"I wasn't talking about soccer!" I retorted.

It took him a second but understanding spread across his face, and then irritation. He kicked the ball at me with ferocity but I caught it that time.

"Shut up!" he said. "Just cause I'm patient doesn't mean I don't score."

I laughed.

"Patient? Who the hell are you waiting for?" I asked, kicking the ball back to him.

"Hinata, of course." He said.

_Hinata? Oh yeah, right... Neji's cousin. Neji's a soccer player, too. He's also a forward. He used to be our best player, that is, until yours truly hit the field. _

"But she's too busy worrying about _your_ sorry ass." He said, giving me another one of those scary, curved kicks.

I didn't even try to catch that one. There was a good reason I wasn't goalie.

"That reminds me." he said. "Why don't you ever go out with Hinata?"

"Because I knew you liked her, man." I said. "She's all yours."

His irritation fizzed out and he smirked at me.

"You better believe she's all mine."

But that was a lie. The real reason I wasn't interested in Hinata seriously was because she's too...available. Why would I like a girl that I could have any old day? Though...that didn't stop me from smashing a couple of times. I mean, if she's giving, I'm definitely taking...

"So, who the hell have_ you_ hooked up with anyway?" he asked.

But I'd never tell Kiba that I'd already been up and through the girl of his dreams...

"Uh, I'm looking at Sakura right now." I said, walking toward him with the ball in hand.

"The head cheerleader?" he asked. "As if. I heard from Rock Lee she likes smart boys."

Oddly, a memory of Sasuke Uchiha popped into my head. I shook it away.

_She said smart boys, not _nerds_... _

"Why the hell would Rock Lee know anyway?" I asked.

Kiba laughed as though it was a really funny question.

"Dude, he's liked her since before pre-k!" he told me.

Even though Rock Lee was the goalie of our team, I didn't hang around him excessively so that was something I wouldn't know.

I smirked.

_I wonder if Rock Lee would fight me if I won Sakura over from him... Eh, doesn't really matter. I could probably take him._

"So, what makes you like Sakura anyway?" he asked. "It's not like she has any tits."

I cocked my head.

_He's right. She's flat as a pancake..._

"That confidence she has." I said, passing the ball to him. "She doesn't even have to look the best. It's just like...she _thinks_ she looks awesome."

"That's called vanity, my friend. All the crazy girls have it. I recommend you stay far away."

He kicked the ball up onto his knees and did a couple tricks where he kicked it over his head and onto his heel.

"Besides." He went on. "Ino's _way_ sexier than her. And she's co-head cheerleader."

"Ino seems like a bitch." I remarked.

"She is." He replied. "But dat ass..."

He kicked the ball over to me and I caught it on the side of my ankle and kicked it up onto my head.

"I'd over look her bitchiness any day for a taste of that..." he said. "No lie."

I imagined Ino in my head and nodded.

"True." I agreed.

"Anyway." He said. "I need to get back home. I told my Mom I'd only be out for a couple hours."

"Alright." I said. "But can I keep the ball?"

"Yeah, I don't care." He said. "But hey, man, remember... We're racing Shika's Dad's cars around the wastelands tomorrow! You'll be there, right?"

"Fuck yeah!" I exclaimed, pumping my fists.

I watched as he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and glanced at the screen. It was already eleven at night. I lay down in the grass next to the goal in the middle of the park and sighed. I gazed at the stars over head wondering if it'd be a better idea to just sleep in the field instead of going home.

Sasuke

*Brothers*

"How are you doing?"

I looked both ways and quickly crossed the street.

"Fine." I mumbled.

I pinned the phone between my shoulder and cheek as I flipped through my wallet.

_Dammit, only five dollars? What the hell happened to the rest of my money?_

"You don't sound too fine."

_But that's a stupid question. The same person _always_ steals my money..._

"How good can 'fine' sound?" I replied.

I heard him sigh. I entered the convince store and picked up an energy drink and some poptarts. The best my money could afford.

"So..." he went on. "How's school?"

"Fine."

"Sasuke, please don't blow off every question I ask like-"

"I'm not blowing it off." I replied. "It's fine. School's fine, home's fine, everything's just fine."

"You're lying to me."

"Well, then why don't you come home and find out how everything is going yourself?!"

"You know I can't do that, I'm busy."

I rolled my eyes.

"You just keep yourself busy." I replied. "As an excuse."

"Can I get a break?" he asked.

I didn't reply. I walked into the park and looked around for a bench to sit on.

"You know that I...wish I could've been there for you." He said quietly.

I unwrapped the silver packaging and pushed a piece of the poptart into my mouth.

"I wish things had been different but..."

I swallowed.

"We're all the way across the country from each other." He told me. "And I can't be around you all the time."

_But you're never around me. I see you like once every two years..._

"I told you I'd pick you up when I got my situation right, didn't I?"

"I know that."

"Be patient, Sasuke." He said. "I have to go now."

_I feel like every single one of our conversations end the exact same way..._

"Okay."

_And even though I promise myself every time I hang up that I won't answer the phone next time, I always, always answer._

"I love you, bro."

"I know." I replied.

_And every time I listen to the dial tone after he hangs up I think the same thing..._

_I hate you, Itachi. _

*School*

I walked around the park after I finished my midnight snack. Not really looking for anything or thinking about anything. It was really random what happened next. Just like everything that had to do with him. I walked through the field, planning to just go home once and for all and saw him lying there next to the goal post. He had his left arm around a soccer ball and slept peacefully like the middle of the park was the most normal place for him to be taking a nap. Half of me wanted to take out my frustrations on him and wake him up and the other half wanted to just ignore him. Wild guess which side won.

"Dobe..." I said kicking him. "Wake up."

He blinked and then scratched his blonde hair and sat up.

"What the hell are you doing sleeping in the middle of a field?"

He looked around sleepily.

"I don't really remember." He said, yawning.

Then he looked down at the soccer ball next to him and slapped his forehead.

"Oh! Right! I was practicing with Kiba." He said, then he looked up at me for the first time. "What are you doing out here?"

"Taking a walk." I said quickly.

_That was a bit too quickly..._

He seemed to think so, too.

"At this hour?" he questioned.

"Who the hell sleeps in a field at this hour?" I asked, rebounding his question.

"Obviously, I do." He said.

"Then what's so strange about me taking a walk?" I asked.

He shrugged and retook his position lying on his back. I stared down at him as his blue eyes shined up at the stars. The nearest lamp post was all the way across the field. It was actually a pretty decent place to star gaze.

"So, you're not using this extra time to study?" he asked.

"Is that all you think I do?"

"Isn't it?"

I rolled my eyes.

"School is school. But I have other interests."

He raised his eyebrows.

"Really? Like what?"

"Not soccer." I said, bending down and picking the ball up. "How does this stupid sport work anyway?"

He rolled his eyes.

"You kick the ball into the net. Simple."

"As simple as Algebra?" I asked him.

"Way simpler than that shit."

I stepped on the ball, popping it up and then kicked it toward the net we were standing next to. It went clean in and rolled back over to me. He raised his eyebrows.

"You wouldn't make a bad forward." He commented.

"Save it." I muttered.

He smirked at me.

"What? You think you're too good for sports? Emo boy?" he asked, reaching over and punching me in the arm.

I jumped back and held it, wincing. He cocked his head.

"That hurt? Maybe you _are_ weak."

I glared at him.

_I'm not weak..._

"Shut your stupid mouth!" I retorted.

_It's just..._

He smiled at me.

"I'm just kidding." He said.

I felt a quick vibration in my pocket and immediately slipped my phone out of my pocket.

"You will remember our conversation if you know what's good for you." the text read.

"Naruto!"

We both turned around to see a mid-height kid with spiky gelled dark brown hair walking toward us in plaid pajama pants, flip-flops and an over-large t-shirt. I immediately recognized the kid from Naruto's house. I assumed it was his younger brother. He looked to be around eleven or twelve years old... He also looked like a punk. One of those troubled kids who always disrupted class and got suspended. Seemed like the kind of kid Naruto would be a role model to...

But Naruto's reaction surprised me.

"What are you doing out so late!?" he exclaimed, walking toward him.

He bowed his head, ashamed in a way I hadn't seen him act with their mother.

"Are you crazy? It's a Friday morning, you have school in like four hours!"

"I'm expelled, remember?"

"I don't care!" he said. "Go home right now."

The kid looked at me from around Naruto.

"What are you doing hanging around this cornball anyway?" he asked me.

Naruto grabbed his head and gently shoved him backwards.

"What I do is none of your business." He said sternly. "I'm serious, Konohamaru. Get your ass home."

He sighed.

"I just wanted to tell you something and I knew you always come here."

"What?"

He hunched his shoulders and his bottom lip stuck out.

"You don't have to get a job for me."

I raised my eyebrows.

_A job?_

"I can take care of myself, okay? So just worry about you." He went on. "And...come back home..._please_."

Naruto looked down at him and smiled, slowly bending down onto his level.

"Hey." He said.

Konohamaru looked up slowly.

"I'm not going anywhere. I was just pissed. I'll be home later." He said. "Now, go to sleep."

Konohamaru grinned and they fist bumped. Naruto stood up straight and watched as he made his way across the field in the direction of their ranch house.

"Cornball, huh?" I asked.

Naruto turned and held his hands up surrender.

"You're a math nerd, man. What do you expect him to think?" he asked, between bursts of laughter.

I rolled my eyes. My phone vibrated again. This time I didn't even pick it up. The bruise on my upper shoulder pulsated painfully. Naruto sat back down in the grass and tossed the soccer ball between his fingers.

_This guy's such an idiot. He clearly lives for nothing except the glory of scoring a goal. School is his sanctuary. He walks around with his group of soccer jocks, winks at the girls, goes to class late and parties on the weekends. He's _that_ guy. On the other hand, I'm the valedictorian, most likely to succeed, the one everyone tries to talk to at least one time just in case their credit gets fucked up in the future and they need a connection. We're as opposite as night and day..._

"Wanna take a seat?" he asked.

"As if I don't have better places to be than wasting my time with you?"

"Well, it's two in the morning and you're in a soccer field...sure does look that way." He joked.

I couldn't find any way to retort so I seemingly reluctantly sat down.

It was impossible not to know of "Naruto Uzumaki". He was the captain of the soccer team. And at our school, soccer was the most heavily watched sport. I couldn't help but glance at him in class, seething over the ease with which everything was given to him. Such an idiot guy probably never had to endure anything difficult or painful in his life. I truthfully hated him.

"So, who do you hang out with anyway?"

"Like...friends?" I mumbled.

_Why am I even here?_

"Naw, I meant pets."

I sighed.

"No one, really. I'm too busy for playtime."

He laughed.

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

"Yeah, well... I'm as dull as it gets." I muttered.

But... the way he acted with his younger brother... It was like he actually cared about that hopeless kid's wellbeing even though it was clear, at least to me, that a kid like that was beyond hope. And somehow... It was like Naruto was the only thing grounding him. It intrigued me...

"So, what's up with your little brother anyway?"

He had his arms crossed on his knees and he was looking up at the stars but then he brought his eyes back down to me.

"Little brother?"

I looked at him.

"You forgot about him that quickly?"

"Oh!" he said.

I could've heard an audible "click" in his brain.

"You mean Konohamaru?" he asked. "He's not my brother."

I continued staring at him.

"Well... I just assumed...because your Mom brought him to your house like that-"

"My Mom?!" he exclaimed.

I paused.

"You've got it all wrong, dude. I'm adopted." He said. "Konohamaru's my foster brother and that asshole woman is the widow of my deceased Godfather."

He smiled at the confusion on my face and laughed.

"My parents died when I was just born." He explained. "I was tossed around a lot in foster homes before I finally settled down with my God father, Jiraiya, and Tsunade when I was twelve. But then... he ended up dying, too. So... I was stuck with Tsunade since then. Konohamaru's just a foster kid that Tsunade's housing for the money. He could be moved somewhere else at any moment."

_Could his life really be that rough? _That_ guy? Could he have truly felt some kind of pain?_

Just like that, my previous assumptions were dismantled. I tried to hold onto my previous idea of who he was. I hated being wrong. Especially about something I was certain about. I was certain that Naruto Uzumaki was a jerk. I wanted to prove it.

"How did your parents die?"

"A couple ground mines... Back when the war was really bad."

"They were both soldiers?"

He nodded.

"It was actually a big mistake. My father was a front line soldier but my mother was just war nurse. They weren't even both supposed to be there at the same time. A freak accident, really." He said, looking back up at the stars. "But hey... Shit happens."

I picked the grass and crushed it between my fingers.

"Right..." I mumbled.

_He's even being slightly optimistic about it... Unlike me. I'll probably never understand the optimistic way of life._

"Sorry for having such a dysfunctional family." He went on. "I had a feeling it made you uncomfortable earlier."

_And now he's apologizing for something? This... This definitely isn't how I would've expected Naruto Uzumaki to be._

"You're wrong." I replied. "I told you... I had a curfew."

"At 7pm?" he asked, looking back at me. "I might be stupid but I'm not_ that_ stupid."

I sighed.

"I'm not lying." I said quietly.

He smirked.

"What? Are you grounded?" he asked.

I didn't reply. He nudged me.

"Well?" he questioned.

"My Uncle's just an asshole." I finally said.

"You're a junior in high school, dude." He joked. "That's child cruelty."

I pretended not to hear him. Instead, I took out my phone which held four more unread messages by the same sender saying the same thing in different ways. I quickly deleted them all.

"You said Uncle." He realized suddenly. "You live with your Uncle?"

"He's not really my Uncle." I said, not looking up from my phone. "More like a distant family relative."

"Yeah, Tsunade's the same way. She's actually a lot older than she looks but you know, those breast implants..."

"'Tch." I muttered. "I wasn't even paying attention to something like that."

He laughed.

"Oh, suuuure you weren't." he said.

I flicked over a message from a girl in my Chemistry class. She'd been texting me almost non-stop ever since I gave her my number. It was slightly annoying.

"Whoa, let me see that!"

I jerked back, startled, as he pulled himself closer to me and grabbed my phone.

"Hey, wait! Give it back!"

"You have Sakura Haruno's phone number?" he asked, with his jaw-dropped.

"I _have_ to have it!" he said.

"We just worked on a Chem project together. I needed to contact her to set up dates." I explained.

"You went on a date?!"

I scoffed.

"It wasn't even like that."

"Oh suuuure it wasn't." he protested, holding me back as he went through my contacts.

I pushed against him, pinning him to the grass. He laughed playfully like a little kid.

"No way!" he exclaimed. "I'm getting this number!"

"I'm seriously going to kill you."

"I'd like to see you try!" he squealed.

He held me back with his arm and thrust the phone far away from me.

"I'll give it back to you if you promise to text me her number!"

"For what?!" I asked.

"What do you mean for what?" he asked. "Clearly, so I can get some!"

_Obviously, I spoke too soon... This guy is exactly the kind of girl-crazed, sex maniac I thought he was._

"No!" I said.

"Okay, then just tell me." he said. "Did you smash?"

I squinted at him.

"What?!"

"Did. You. Smash." He repeated.

_What the hell does 'smash' mean?_

I went through a hundred records of teenage slang in the blink of an eye and used the assistance of context clues to help me along.

_Oh! He means..._

"No, I didn't have sex with her." I muttered, feeling annoyed. "I told you, it was just a project."

He laughed.

"Yeah... A project on the back of dat ass." He joked, tossing me the phone.

I rolled my eyes and sat up. I looked at the screen to see that my phone had just called a number I didn't recognize.

"Who the hell did you call?" he asked.

Naruto smiled.

"Myself." He replied. "Now I have _your_ number, jerk."

That didn't bother me too much. As long as he didn't text me constantly like all those girls...

"Dude, are you going to sit on me all night?"

"Oh, sorry." I said, rolling off him.

But even as I pulled myself off of him, he stayed in a lying position.

"I don't think I'm going to school today." He muttered.

I raised my eyebrows.

"Why not?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"I have all the classes I hate today." He explained.

_Which probably included Algebra..._

"Let's skip." He suggested to me.

"Don't you have a game or something?" I asked.

"That's_ tomorrow_ night." He reminded me. "And besides, that has nothing to do with school."

I looked at my phone again as another message popped up on it.

"Yeah, okay." I agreed.

His eyes widened.

"I can't believe it... I just got the valedictorian of my entire year to play hookey. What else can you do?"

I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." I remarked.

"But actually, now that I think about it, you _are_ absent often, aren't you?" he pondered.

I shrugged, avoiding his eyes. His put his hands behind his head and sighed.

"Any ideas on what we should do?" I asked.

He grinned.

"What _everyone_ does when they skip school..." he said. "Skate- Park!"

He rolled farther onto his back and then jumped straight onto his feet and stood up.

"Come on."

He lowered his hand out to me and as I grabbed it, I couldn't help but feel like I was making one of the biggest mistakes of my life...

_But what's life if you don't do something incredibly stupid once in a while?_

*Friends*

I stood on top of what Naruto classified as a half pipe watching as he took the twenty foot plunge down the decline. He bolted toward the other side, spun around in the air a couple times, then came back my way landing perfectly on the ledge I was sitting on. He grinned at me.

_No helmet... No elbow pads or knee pads... Young and Reckless wasn't even close..._

"You want to try it out?"

"Does it look like I want to try something as ridiculous as that?"

He grinned at me.

"Come on, man. You Only Live Once." He said, nudging me.

Something about that phrase resounded with me.

"Fine."

I took the skateboard from him and walked over to the edge of the half pipe. I took a pre-cursory glance around the skate park. It was barely eight in the morning. The place was almost completely deserted. At least if I busted my ass, he'd be the only one to see it.

"Scared?"

_Yes..._

I scoffed.

"You wish."

I positioned my board over the ledge.

"Have you ever ridden a board before?" he asked.

I shook my head. I heard him snicker and turned around to see his phone propped up in front of his face.

"What are you doing?"

"Dude, if you fuck up, I _have_ to have evidence."

I reached for the phone.

"Stop!" I said.

He jerked his hand back and my jostling moved the board forward ever so slightly. I felt myself drop. Naruto's eyebrows rose so high his hair covered them.

I could've freaked out... Actually, I probably _should_ have freaked out. But I didn't. I had a _very _abnormal level of control over my actions and emotions. I riding down a decline at almost a straight 90 degree angle and I didn't even blink. I immediately recalled how Naruto controlled himself on the board by bending his knees and flipped up to the other side. I spun around in the air, dropped back down onto the slant and curtly brought the far end of my board up causing the back end to skid across the wood slowing me down to a stop.

I looked up to see Naruto holding his phone out in front of him with his eyes wider than I'd ever seen them.

"No. Fucking. Way." I heard him say.

He dropped down from the top of the half pipe and ran over to me.

"I got that shit all on video, dude!" he yelled. "Oh my god, this gonna get so many hits!"

I rolled my eyes and brushed my hair back into the swoop bang across my forehead.

"And this guy still has time to fix his hair!" he exclaimed, bringing the camera closer to me.

I pushed it out of my face.

"But seriously, though. It took me my whole life it do a 540!" he exclaimed. "How the hell did you manage that your first try?"

I shrugged.

"I just watched how you did it."

He glanced over my head and then a huge smile broke out onto his face. He darted past me. I turned as he jumped over a rail and ran over to three kids who I didn't recognize that just entered the park. I took my time getting over to them.

"I almost didn't think you guys were going to show up, today!"

"You know how long it takes these two to get ready." A girl with short brownish blonde hair remarked. "They're like girls."

Naruto laughed.

"You're still doing that black eye-shadow thing?" he asked.

The boy in front of him crossed his arms and shrugged. Naruto glanced back at me and then smiled and grabbed my arm, forcing me forward.

"This is my personal slave, just call him Emo Boy." He introduced.

I jerked my arm out of his and extended my hand to them.

"I'm Sasuke Uchiha. Nice to meet you."

The girl whistled.

"Oooh, a gentleman." She said, taking my hand. "Not too many of those around here, huh boys?"

The brown haired boy next to her stuck his tongue out at her and the slightly shorter red haired boy reached for my hand next.

"I'm Gaara." He said. "And that's my brother Kankuro and my sister Temari."

They both made faces as they were introduced. I smiled pleasantly.

"So, does school start a bit later for you guys?" I asked.

Everyone except me burst into laughter.

"Did this guy just say _school_?" Kankuro asked.

Temari was laughing so hard tears came to her eyes.

"I haven't been to school in so long, I barely remember how to get there..." Gaara mumbled.

Temari threw a rolled up gum wrapper at Naruto.

"Why'd you'd bring the Nerd anyway?" she asked him.

It took a lot of restraint not to roll my eyes, turn around and walk home.

_Clearly, Naruto's made friends with _all _the local punks..._

I observed them all. The girl named Temari wore very short and tight khaki colored shorts with a black and pink hoodie and black skater sneakers. She alone wore a helmet. Her brothers were without protection just like Naruto. Kankuro wore a gray pullover that said "Skate or Die" in dark purple letters on the front with black and gray striped shorts and dark purple Vans. Gaara wore dark blue skinny jeans with a plain burgundy sweat shirt pulled up to his elbows and dark brown sneakers. Over his dark red hair, which I was one-hundred percent sure he'd dyed, he wore a blue snapback with "SandStorm" written on it in red letters. He had a tattoo on his face just like Naruto, except instead of getting a couple stupid whiskers, he got the Japanese characters for "Love" written on the top left side of his forehead.

_What idiots... Don't any of them think of how they'll look trying to get a job with all that shit on their face?_

Clearly none of them cared. While I watched, Kankuro and Temari both did what Naruto called "grinding" by sliding down the rails next to the stairs and Gaara practiced a "varial kickflip".

"Why does Kankuro have that purple paint on his face?" I asked Naruto as we watched.

Naruto was doing something on his smart phone and slowly turned to me.

"Huh? Oh... I dunno. It's cool, I guess." He said. "Just like how Gaara always wears that black eyeshadow."

I shook my head.

_Why did I think I could use normal logic to make sense of these characters?_

"Hey, guys! Come over here!" Naruto suddenly called.

They all stopped what they were doing and jogged over to us.

"What?" Gaara asked.

"You wouldn't believe what I got on camera earlier!" he exclaimed.

"Check it out!"

Naruto pressed the play button on his phone but it went black.

"Nothing happened." Temari pointed out.

"Dammit!" Naruto exclaimed. "I must've had my finger on the lense!"

"You idiot." I muttered. "That's what you get."

"Sasuke! Do it again!" he said shoving me.

"No." I said, pushing him back.

"Come on, just do it!"

"Do what?" Gaara asked.

"He just did a 540 on that deep half pipe. No grabs, man." Naruto said. "And I couldn't even get it on tape!"

Kankuro glanced at me and then shook his head and waved his hands.

"Hell no... That guy?!" he asked, motioning towards me. "Even _with _grabs, he wouldn't be able to do it! There's no way in hell."

"Did he bust his ass?" Temari asked grinning. "Is that the video?"

"No! He landed that shit!" Naruto exclaimed.

Kankuro continued shaking his head.

"Nahhh. No way, man. No way in hell." He said. "_You_ just learned an Ollie 540 like a week ago."

"I know! That's why I'm going crazy, dude!" Naruto protested. "Sasuke, come on, man, please!"

Gaara was staring at me silently, finally he smirked.

"Well, even if he did do it by some weird ass mistake. He can't do it again." He said, crossing his arms.

_I'll take that bet..._

I grabbed the skateboard and made my way to the half pipe.

"Yes!" Naruto exclaimed.

By the time I got all the way up there, I was seriously re-thinking my decision.

_Why did I say I was going to skip school again? Oh, yeah... Right... 'Cause I'm just stupid as Naruto... And _that's_ saying something._

"We're not liable for you to sue us!" Kankuro yelled up to me.

I rolled my eyes.

_Thanks for the encouragement..._

"Are you taping this?" I heard Gaara mutter to Temari.

She grinned and propped an official video camera up in front of her face.

"Hell yes... I'm already thinking of titles for this video..." she said.

"How about 'Emo boy busts his ass'?" Gaara suggested.

They both snickered. I glanced at Naruto who was all smiles, nodding at me like there was no way I wouldn't land it again.

I gritted my teeth, positioned my skateboard over the drop again and dove downward. I bent my knees, pumping for extra power, sped toward the opposite side of the ramp, spun into the air and twisted one and a half times like I did before except... This time, I hit it a bit harder causing me to have to bend my knees and grab the front of the board for support so I spun around an extra half turn. Luckily, I finished spinning by the time the wheels hit the surface. I hit one end of Naruto's skateboard down again slowing me down to a stop in the middle of the half-pipe.

I turned to them. Everyone's mouth was open. Even Gaara.

"Didn't I say it?!" Naruto exclaimed jumping to his feet. "Didn't I fucking say it?!"

His voice brought everyone to life. Temari lowered the camera as Kankuro shook her vigorously.

"Did you count that?" Kankuro said, tapping Temari. "Did you? Did anybody count that?"

"It was a 720." Gaara said. "He just landed a 720 on a halfpipe."

"You gotta be fucking me." Kankuro whispered. Then he started yelling: "You gotta be FUCKING me!"

"This is crazy..." Temari muttered.

Naruto was running over to me. Before I could stop him, he tackled me to the ground.

"I told you guys!" he shouted. "He's a ninja! He's a _fucking_ ninja!"

I half-picked me up off the ground and spun me around.

"Get off me!" I shouted.

But oddly, I didn't feel as angry as I usually would at such an encroachment of personal space. Naruto grinned at me and hugged me again.

"He's a skating God!" he shouted.

The rest of them ran over to us, still half-speechless.

"Am I tripping?!" Kankuro yelled. "Did I smoke weed last night?!"

"Yes, you did." Gaara said. "But you're not tripping. This bastard is from another planet."

Naruto and I looked up at Gaara. I felt an odd sense of pressure. For the first time in my life, I wanted someone other than my brother to acknowledge me. Gaara and I stared at each other. Then he smirked and thrust his fist out toward me. Slowly, I raised my arm and fist bumped him.

"It _was_ pretty cool... Emo boy." He said.

It took me a while. A while sitting in the morning sun, listening to Naruto talk about different skateboard tricks and watching the others practice but slowly, I came to realize something. I'd never...had a group of people to go to. A group of people outside my family to identify with. I'd never had...

"Hey, pick your ass up. We're grabbing a bite to eat!" Kankuro said to me.

"Yeah, let's go, Emo boy." Temari called, winking at me.

"Sasuke. Come on." Naruto called to me.

...Friends.

Author's Note: If you like this story, PLEASE comment below and tell me so. I've basically finished the entire thing but it's pretty long so I decided that I wouldn't upload it unless people wanted me to. (Travel deeper into Naruto and Sasuke's American-esque world meeting your new-old Naruto characters all over again in the next chapter!)


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: There are moments in this section (and a couple others) where you might see a direction to "Play 'song here'". Those songs are what I was listening to while I wrote that particular scene. I suggest that you play the song off Youtube or somewhere else and listen while you read. It would help you get a better understanding of the emotions and tones in that scene. But, I'm not going to, like, peek in through your windows and make sure you do it. Just a suggestion. Hahaha.

Naruto

*PotHeads*

I ended up skipping school again the next day.

"It's Friday." I told Sasuke. "They're not doing anything."

He shrugged and said nothing.

In less than two hours, we were on a bus heading past the rolling suburbs out to the more urban Westside.

"Why are we going out west?" he asked.

"There's some cool guys over the bridge I want you to meet."

"Why does it seem like you know everybody?" he asked exasperatedly.

I smirked.

"Because I'm me."

Sasuke really surprised me. I expected him to be this real uptight, nagging guy. And, well... He _was _uptight and he definitely _was _nagging, too. But... It was difficult to explain. It was like he spoke in codes with all of his insults and annoyed speech inflections just being really big symbols for "Thanks" or "I care about you". And even stranger, it was like I was the only one who understood his language.

On the way there, Kiba called me.

"Where the hell were you yesterday?" Kiba asked. "We had practice."

"I was kickin' it with Sasuke." I said. "But don't worry, I'm all prepped for the game tonight."

"What are you doing hanging out with the loner anyway?" he asked.

I glanced at Sasuke sitting next to me but he was looking out the window, paying no attention.

"Are you gonna pull some kind of prank?" Kiba wondered.

I rolled my eyes.

"Am I really that much of an asshole?"

Kiba grinned. "Usually."

"He's cool, man. Cooler than you'd expect." I told him.

Sasuke then glanced at me with a questioning expression. I made a face at him.

"Whatever you say, man, you just better not miss the game because of this."

"Of course not!" I said, hanging up before.

As the bus went along its thirty minute ride to where we needed to go, I reflected on the previous day.

Sasuke and I ended up skating all day and hanging out with Gaara, Kankuro and Temari on the Southside suburban homes. Unlike the Westside, the Southside was characterized by the large, expensive looking brick houses and gated neighborhoods. One usually wouldn't expect all the kids living around there to be potheads. Their parents could afford to live there because they were the heads of this big corporation (SandStorm Beach Co.). Sasuke and I were really lucky that they were both in a meeting and wouldn't be home all weekend. It gave us the perfect opportunity to crash at their place. We got so caught up in...stuff...I completely forgot I had practice at 4pm. And when I say stuff, I basically just mean rolling up.

"Dude, it's no pressure at all." I reassured Sasuke.

"Then why do you want me to try it?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes.

"What do you mean why? Why _not_? You Only Live Once, remember?"

Sasuke sighed.

"I guess if I'm throwing my life away, I might as well do it right..." he mumbled, grabbing it and taking a hit.

He started coughing and blinked rapidly.

"What the hell _is_ this shit?" he asked.

Kankuro laughed.

"I knew that he wasn't going to take it easy. Ninja my ass." He mumbled.

I grinned and leaned back into the couch.

"It's his first time. Let him slide." I said, between bursts of laughter.

Gaara was already blasted to a planet no one could see except him. And Temari was stitching fans together. An art she claimed she never got the spirit for unless she smoked first.

"I feel like you're one of those bad influences they warn us about on TV." Sasuke mumbled.

"Just say no." I quoted.

The television was on. The cartoons in front of the screen squirmed and seemed to change colors. I blinked and shook my head.

"Dude, I can _not_ watch Adventure Time after smoking." I said, nudging Kankuro. "It's fucks my head up."

"Whatever, man." He said, grinning. "This show is _made_ to watch when you're turntup."

I felt Sasuke's hand on mine and turned to see him taking another hit. I laughed.

"I feel like you've done all this before and you're just messing with me." I said.

Sasuke blinked.

"What? Smoking or skateboarding?" he asked. "It's my first time for both."

I shook my head.

"I still can't get over that shit. Did you upload it yet, Tem?" I asked.

She turned slowly.

"Yeah, it's on. It already has like a 1,000 views. Everybody is going crazy."

I nudged Sasuke.

"You're about to be the coolest guy in school."

"If I ever go back to school." He mumbled, slipping the doobie out of my fingers.

"Dude, you're about to smoke my whole shit!" I exclaimed.

"Relax." He muttered.

I shook my head.

"You're telling _me_ to relax?" I asked. "Now I know you're high."

His looked back at me. Slowly, his lips pulled up at the corners and I saw an expression on his face I'd never seen before.

Sasuke smiled at me.

"This feels amazing." He whispered.

I couldn't help but be overly aware of his proximity to me. Gaara had passed out on the other couch. Kankuro had gone to pick up a box of pizza and Temari, who I had heard through distant connections was interested in Shikamaru, suddenly got a phone call and bolted to her bedroom. I watched as Sasuke continued with my blunt. He'd unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt so that his chest was visible and tied his cardigan around his waist. It was funny how just a slight tweaking of an outfit could make a person look a hundred times cooler. Though... He was still a pretty attractive guy no matter how he wore his clothes.

"What?"

I blinked.

"Huh?"

"You were staring at me."

I shook my head.

"Oh... Uh..."

I leaned over Sasuke and grabbed the joint back, lit it up, and took another hit.

"Just wanted my shit back." I improvised.

He leaned back in the couch and closed his eyes. He was basically knocked out in five seconds flat.

Kankuro walked in at that point with the pizza and nodded to me.

"You can turn that into a futon if you want to crash here." He said to me, taking the food into the kitchen.

"Got it." I said.

I figured out how to kick the couch handle back so that it extended into a bed. Even with the crash of the back of the couch falling, Sasuke didn't stir.

"That guy's knocked out cold." Kankuro commented.

I grinned, poking him to see if he'd move. He didn't.

"Hey, let's write on his face." I proposed. "It's gonna be funny as hell."

Kankuro rolled his eyes.

"I'm way too buzzed for that." He said, throwing a pillow at Gaara.

"Go to your room, dude."

Gaara sleepily stood up, nodded at us and proceeded to his bedroom. I curled up next to Sasuke and felt sleep over-taking me, too. I'd forgotten I hadn't slept at all in almost twenty four hours and Sasuke was probably the same way. I passed out in seconds and didn't stir until 9 in the morning the next day when Sasuke nudged me.

"We're late for school." He said, yawning.

I squinted in the morning sunlight and rolled onto my stomach.

"Count how many shits I give..." I mumbled.

I glanced up at him, lying on his back staring up at the ceiling.

"I barely remember yesterday..." he said quietly. "It's all a really big blur."

"Get used to that feeling." I replied.

After a couple of silent seconds, he snapped his fingers.

"Now I remember. We skipped school... And hung out with your punk friends instead."

I sighed.

"Those punks are letting you crash on their futon right now."

"Right... Remind me to send them a thank you card."

"You're such an asshole."

I turned and shoved him half-heartedly. The sunlight seeping in through the window blinds became more apparent to me as I looked into Sasuke's dark eyes, reflecting the light. He was staring up at the ceiling absent-mindedly. Slowly, I became incredibly aware of a warm, wet sensation in the dark green shorts I had on. A quick vision of the dream I had been having passed in front of my eyes. My cheeks burned with heat.

_No way... I really had a dream like..._

"Are you hot or something?"

I realized Sasuke was staring at me...causing my cheeks to strain harder. I sat up quickly.

"Yeah, a bit." I lied, making a point to position my arms over my shorts.

We were silent for a while.

"So..." he said slowly. "What are we doing today?"

That was when it really hit me.

_Sasuke... You're in this for the long run, aren't you?_

I turned my head and looked at him.

_Or... Are you just curious to know what kind of life I live?_

He looked back up at me. I chose my words semi-carefully.

"Not school." I said. "Feel like skipping again?"

I watched as he nodded slowly. And three hours later, after stopping at my house to shower and change because, for some reason Sasuke didn't want to go ten miles of his own house. We were on the bus. Even though he'd picked clothes from my closet, he wore them like he wore his own. He had on a pair of my black Levi's with my dark purple and black Nike high top sneakers. On his torso, he wore a black and purple striped v-neck shirt which I'd never seen in my life but he claimed he got it from my closet. It was probably something Tsunade bought me on her good days. Over it, he wore an all black dressy styled vest which he kept unbuttoned with a black tie that he kept loose. When I saw him, I rolled my eyes.

"You look like an Emo Abercrombie and Fitch bag." I told him.

_Well, minus the kicks... My Nikes make him look cooler than he would've otherwise._

"A what?" he asked, looking utterly clueless.

That outfit was basically the opposite of what I wore minus the tie. I wore light blue Vans with white skinny jeans, slightly sagged, and a white thermal with the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. Over my thermal, I wore a light blue polo that matched my eyes perfectly. And over my blonde hair, I had on an orange snapback with a blue swirl symbol on it and the words: "Konoha Kyubbi", my favorite national soccer team, in light blue.

I glanced at Sasuke, sitting there, flipping his tie between his fingers and couldn't help but smirk.

_On the other hand, the pretty boy look suits him well... _

The bus rolled to a stop.

"Yes! We're here!"

Sasuke

*Poetry with a Beat*

Initially, I wasn't sure what it would be like to spend the entire day on the Westside. But as soon as the bus pulled into the city, I was sold. I'd never been to the inner city before.

"So what are we here for?"

"To hang out with my Cloud State friends."

_Cloud State? Oh, right... One of the local universities. Really well known for performing arts. Nothing _I_ would be interested in._

I was incredibly hesitant. As we walked through the city, I wondered multiple times if I should just go back home.

_What the hell am I doing skipping school anyway?_

But then we were standing in front of a large black and white washed out building. At first, I assumed the building was just old and eroded but the more I looked the more I saw that the color of the building was made up of probably a thousand different incidents of vandalism.

"Isn't it cool?" Naruto asked.

I was more interested in figuring out why and how people continued making masterpieces on the building in only black or white paint. Was there a sign? Or did they just know to keep up the ritual?

After a couple of seconds, I realized a guy was leaning up against the double doors of the building sucking on a lollipop. I turned to Naruto, planning to question him again, but he darted past me with a large smile on his face.

"What's up Omoi?!" he exclaimed.

"Oh! Hey, Naruto." He said. "Hardly recognized you, where've you been?"

Naruto shrugged.

"Eh, just kind of busy with practice and everything." He explained.

Then he smiled and pointed at me.

"This is my lackey."

_Why does he always introduce me in such stupid ways?_

I sighed.

"Sasuke Uchiha." I said, reaching out to shake his hand.

He smiled and shook it.

"So what are you doing standing outside anyway?" Naruto asked.

"I dunno, man. I get this weird feeling this whole building's going to collapse any second and crush us all... You know it's old."'

_So, clearly this guy is also an idiot..._

Naruto laughed.

"You're so pessimistic." He said. "So where is everyone?"

As soon as he said that, the door swung open.

"Omoi! What did you do with my laptop!?" exclaimed a girl.

She glanced at us with irritated eyes and then did a double take, her expression softening.

"Naruto? Wow, long time no see." She said, giving him a hug.

He smiled.

"Hey, Karui." He said. "What's up?"

"I'm trying to get the DJ station set up for the battle in a few minutes but Omoi-"

"Did you just say battle?!" Naruto asked, grinning.

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh god no, please." She said. "Someone tell this guy he can't dance."

Omoi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"You can't dance, man. Sorry." He said.

Naruto's spirit wasn't dampened at all. He put his hands behind his head and smiled radiantly.

"Can we at least watch?"

"Of course you can. VIP seating and everything." Karui told him.

We all entered the large building and walked straight to the back into a large studio styled room. I watched Naruto interact with the people around him. More and more people were flooding in. All of them were dark skinned with dark eyes and interesting hair and clothing styles. I was pretty sure they were all from Cloud State. Even though Naruto looked like he wouldn't fit in with them even if he was the last human on Earth, they all nodded at him and shook his hand on his way past them. I began to realize quickly that his personality had an odd gravitational pull.

_But, I already know this guy is extremely out-going... That's his talent, if he has one... Bringing people together like some kind of beacon of social activity._

"Yo! Darui!" Naruto shouted.

"Aye, is that Naruto?! What's up, my man?"

I felt strangely over-shadowed by him. He was lucky... To have all these friends and support from all across town.

"You staying for the battle, Naruto?"

"Hell Yeah!"

_This is so confusing. If he has all this... All these people he could easily be spending time with... Why is he dragging me around?_

"Yeah, this is one of my friends. His name's Sasuke."

_After all, I'm just his project partner. And I wasn't even that kind to him. Why..._

The beat dropped. (Play Swizz Beats-Everyday Coolin') I picked my head up. I had been scrolling through my messages on my phone pretending I was doing something. They set the studio up in a unique way so that the dance floor was separated by a railing. It was also a couple of feet lower than us. So, we had to look down to see the dancers.

A guy ran out onto the dance floor, threw his foot forward and by some stroke of crazy luck, landed on his feet.

"Sick front flip!" Naruto exclaimed.

He spun onto the floor, winding himself up in down in rotation while the other dancer watched him, circling him, eying his moves.

"That's a back spin." Naruto told me. "And whoaaa, he just pushed it up into a head-spin."

"What the hell is the purpose of this?" I asked him.

He smirked at me.

"Are you really that detached?"

_...Detached?_

"It's to see which one is better."

It took me a while to get accustomed to the loud music but the actual movements of the people in front of my eyes became interesting to me.

It's almost like their movements fit with the lyrics.

"See...he's known for pop locking." Naruto went on. "So it's a big deal, because that guy's known for busting out these crazy ass break dance moves."

The song faded out and changed to another song that I recognized but I didn't know where from.

"They playin' Smooth Criminal up in here?" Karui asked from her seat behind Naruto.

The break dancer backed off the dance floor allowing the pop locker to slide his way in using some kind of quick foot movements.

"Beasty moonwalk!" Darui shouted at the same time Naruto yelled: "Ohhh, shit!"

_Ohh... It's a Michael Jackson song._

The crowd clapped. The person outstretched his arm and moved his body like a wave was passing from his arm to the rest of his body. I began to focus on him. He moved his feet in place in a circular motion.

"You like that, don't you?" Naruto said.

I cocked my head as the guy bounded from his knees to his feet like there was zero gravity in the room, effortlessly.

"I...can't figure it out." I finally said. "How the hell is he doing that?"

Naruto smiled.

"Pure awesomeness."

Suddenly, he grabbed my arm.

"But more importantly, you haven't met the coolest guy here."

"Huh?"

I got to my feet allowing him to drag me through the crowd of watching people and toward the back door.

"He's probably in the sound room rehearsing right now." Naruto mumbled. "He's such a music geek."

In seconds, we were in front of a door down the hall way that I hadn't noticed when we came in. He slowly pushed it open and a pulled me in. A burly dark skinned guy with dyed whitish blonde hair and a black fitted cap, the same style as Naruto's, turned at an angle stood behind a large glass window in front of a microphone.

"Looks like he's recording." Naruto said, then he turned to me mischievously. "Let's watch."

We both took seats at the music control panel and watched him through the window. A bass sounded, blasting in our ears.

"Uh..." he said, nodding to the beat. "Yeah..."

"I love his freestyles." Naruto whispered.

_Killer Bee is my stage name, _

_Scoring points in the rap game, _

_My beast is uncaged, rampage, _

_Exploding on my notebook page. Uh..._

He stopped suddenly and grabbed his head.

"Ugh... What's next?" we heard him mumble.

Naruto stood up and knocked on the window. Killer Bee looked up, saw him and smiled. He quickly came through the door and came over to Naruto.

"Hey, what's up lil bro?" he asked. "I haven't seen you in almost a year, you know."

"Yeah, soccer's really been taking up my time." He said.

"You doing good in school? Gonna apply to Cloud State, fool?"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Do you really think I'm going to college?"

Killer Bee ruffled Naruto's hair, a bit roughly.

"Sure you are."

"I'm failing math." Naruto told him.

"You'll be fine. Your junior year is probably tough, just like mine."

Then he glanced at me.

"Who's your friend?"

"That's Sasuke." Naruto said.

I nodded at him and held my hand out but Killer Bee frowned and didn't take it.

"You know how I feel about strangers listening to my rhymes." He said. "Bring him in some other time."

_Okay... Does anyone _else_ realize that he's speaking in rhymes?_

"We're spending the day together." Naruto told him, shrugging. "The only time is now."

_Spending the day together?! That sounds _so_ ridiculous... Why do I feel like I'm on a kindergarten fieldtrip? _

Killer Bee shrugged.

"Then leave."

"Well, I want to hang out with you, too." Naruto protested.

Killer Bee crossed his arms.

"I'm not going anywhere until I finish these last couple of lines." He said. "The end is in sight but it's all just not feeling right."

I recalled the last stanza he had spouted and visualized it in my head.

_I see it now..._

"Please Killer Bee, come on, he's cool. I swear."

"No way, Naruto. He has got to goooo." He told him.

"It's your iambic pentameter." I spoke up suddenly.

Killer Bee looked at me.

"The reason why it doesn't sound right... It's because the rhythm with which you drop your syllables is off." He said. "And your syntax and diction also need to be adjusted."

"Huh?" he and Naruto said in unison.

I noticed a pencil and a notepad sitting on the table. I picked up the pencil and wrote his lyrics down.

"This is what you said." I said. "But with your beat... It doesn't work. It's like...trying to squish a four foot blanket into a three inch box."

They both nodded slowly.

"But if you do this..." I said, marking up the lyrics. "It's easier to listen to and easier to say."

He picked up the notepad and slowly read over it.

"Scoring in the rap game,

Ripping like a rampage,

Eight Tails is unleashed,

That's the Bee's Beast."

"Eight Tails?" Naruto asked.

I looked at a plaque behind me.

"Your record label... It's called Eight Tails Beast, right?" I said, pointing to it.

Killer Bee had sunglasses on so I couldn't see his eyes but he looked up from the paper. And he was looking directly at me.

"Yes?" I said slowly.

"What was your name again?" he asked.

"Sasuke... Sasuke Uchiha." He said.

Slowly, he nodded at me.

"Sasuke, huh?" he said. "Well, Sasuke... You're a natural."

"Thanks." I said off-handedly. "I mean, it's just poetry with a beat, right? We learn about poetry all day in English class."

Killer Bee smiled.

"Poetry with a beat, eh? Well... How would you like to star on one of my tracks with me?"

Naruto's eyes popped out of his head.

"What?!" he exclaimed. "I've been trying to get on one of your tracks for like, ever!"

"Naruto, you wouldn't know rhythm if it hit you in the face at fifty miles per hour." Killer Bee muttered. "But your friend, Sasuke, has talent higher than a water tower!"

Naruto crossed his arms angrily.

"Yeah, a talent for _evil_..." he mumbled. "Taking everything from me..."

But one look at him told me he was just kidding around.

"Thanks for the offer but I'm fine."

Killer Bee smiled at me.

"Just a quick one, man."

"Yeah, no pressure." Naruto said, winking at me.

Killer Bee pressed a few buttons, creating a quick beat.

_How do I keep getting into these "no pressure" situations?_

I sighed, quickly pulling something out of my head.

"_You know, it's my time._

_Stand back and let me shine. _

_Swift like a ninja line. _

_Writing rhymes in my prime."_

Naruto whistled.

I stopped after that and Killer Bee picked up quickly right where I left off.

_Swift like a ninja, true._

_Ain't nothing you can do._

_This is a game for two._

_Kicking ass back to you._

_Bringing heat, pretty fine._

_Check the swag? Yeah, it's mine_

_Hittin' beats? Right on time._

_Flippin fast on Cloud Nine. ...Yeah._

"That was tight!" Naruto exclaimed.

I smiled about to go again, up for the challenge, but Naruto interrupted me.

"I got this next one, I got it!" he yelled. "Uhhh..."

_They call me Toad Sage._

_I got rapping road rage,_

_Check the freakin' oil gauge,_

_My power won't ever fade. Yo._

It was my turn to raise my eyebrows.

"Toad Sage?" I asked.

"That's the stage name he wanted to have." Killer Bee said rolling his eyes. "Eh, that was decent. I guess Sasuke's talent is rubbing off on you...slightly."

Naruto frowned and crossed his arms like a pouting child. Glad for the assistance, Killer Bee went on with his next couple of lines, taking hints from me time to time. And every now and then, we'd all freestyle for fun. It was pretty interesting... Learning how music was developed. I truly wasn't sorry I came.

"Having fun?" Naruto asked me a couple hours later.

I shrugged but smiled inwardly.

_Of course, you idiot. ...I'm beginning to realize, it's going to be next to impossible _not_ to have fun around you._

*The Game*

"Shit, shit, shit." Naruto said, pacing around the studio.

"What?" Killer Bee asked.

"I'm gonna be late! Fuck!"

"Late to what?!" He exclaimed.

"The game is tonight! I have to be there!" he said. "I can't make it there on the bus. SHIT!"

Killer Bee was silent for a while and then he shrugged.

"Well, I guess you can take the panther."

Naruto's mouth dropped open.

"You're kidding me."

Killer Bee grinned.

"Why would I joke about something like that?"

A couple minutes later, we were standing next to a bright orange Chevy Camaro with a black stripe going down the center. Naruto threw his arms around the side of it.

"This car is my baaaaaby!" he exclaimed. "Bee's so damn lucky!"

_It would be just like this guy to like a car as conspicuous as this..._

"I don't even drive that car." Killer Bee said, shrugging. "It's more like a back-up. But don't mess it up."

Naruto slid into the driver's seat and revved the engine, not listening at all.

"I'll make sure it gets back to you in one piece." I told him.

He smiled at me and fist bumped me.

"You're real cool people, Sasuke. If you ever need a loan, I got your back."

I smiled and thanked him.

Killer Bee's brother, Ay, built the studio we were just in. He was a huge business man and collected money betting on stocks while Killer Bee's rapping career flourished bringing in a lot of cash. They were pretty wealthy...which was why Bee had a random Camaro he didn't drive. I was pretty sure they would be the first people I'd contact if I ever had money issues.

"Come on, Emo boy!" Naruto shouted. "I'm late!"

I sighed and walked around to the passenger's side. I waved to Bee who had his hands together like he was praying as Naruto whipped around the corner. I slid my seat belt on but Naruto, the king of recklessness, didn't even bother. He pushed down on the gas pedal, weaving around cars. After about twenty five minutes of speeding and high blood pressure, we pulled into his driveway. Naruto ran inside while I took my time making my way up the walk and into the house.

"Where the hell have you been!?" a voice exclaimed.

I knocked on the open door cautiously. Tsunade, who had been standing in the kitchen, frowned at me.

"And _this_ kid's back?" she asked, looking at Naruto who walked past her with his sports bag. "Did you lose a bet?"

Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Unlike you, I don't spend my spare time gambling." He muttered. "Come on, Sasuke."

"Where do you think you're going?" she called after him.

He didn't even pause. He slipped his hand into mine when he got over to me and pulled me back to the car.

"Tsunade, I told you I have a game!" Naruto yelled back at her.

"So you're just going right on out again?" she asked.

"Yes." He mumbled.

"Whatever..." she replied as we got back into the car.

She stood in the door frame, swirling some liquor around in a glass and watching as the car backed down the drive way.

"Just don't make eye contact." Naruto muttered to me.

As we headed toward the school, I looked over at him and broke the awkward silence.

"Does she ever...punish you?" I asked.

He glanced at me, pressing a bit harder on the gas.

"What do you mean like ground me? Of course not, she knows I don't give a shit." He replied.

I looked out of the window.

"She doesn't...punish you in any other way?" I asked.

He sighed.

"Sasuke, if you're worried I'm going to get in trouble, don't." he said. "She doesn't give a shit about me, okay? She never did. I can do whatever I want."

As he said that, his hands tightened around the steering wheel.

"She probably hopes I won't come back." He whispered. "Less mouths to feed."

I tapped the side of the window.

"What do you think is worse, a guardian who doesn't care or a guardian that cares too much?" I asked him.

He opened his mouth, and I predicted his answer.

_He'll obviously say one that doesn't care... That's his situation. So obviously, he'll think it's the worst._

But he surprised me.

"I don't know." He said. "I never had a parent that cared too much, so... I can't say."

We pulled into a parking space at the school, three minutes before he was due in the locker room. As the car rumbled, he slowly turned to me with an inquisitive expression.

"Does...your Uncle care too much?"

I bristled and turned away from him.

"You'd better hurry." I muttered. "Or you'll be late."

I unlocked the car door and got out without another word. Without a spare second, he rushed after me. We walked all the way across the parking lot, pass the actual school and all the trailers all the way over to the newly built pool and water sports building. Behind the building was the gigantic one hundred and thirty yard long soccer field with at least sixty rows of bleachers surrounding it on all sides. We walked over to the far east side of the building where the locker rooms where. Three boys I recognized as Kiba, Rock Lee and Neji stood there in uniform with their arms crossed. When they spotted Naruto, smiles shot onto their faces.

"Where the hell have you been, dude?" Kiba asked.

Then his eyes locked onto me, walking up next to him. His demeanor changed. He crossed his arms and frowned.

"Well, _that_ explains it..." I heard him mutter.

"We were about to call the police." Neji remarked.

I knew Neji pretty well. He was the valedictorian of his own graduating class and also the co-captain of the soccer team with Naruto. I had to see him at almost every academically centered event I'd ever been to.

"Didn't you get my text?" Naruto asked.

"You know how Guy Sensei is about using your phone before a game." Rock Lee reminded him.

They all turned and walked toward the locker rooms but Kiba quickly blocked my path.

"Teammates only." He said. "Sorry."

_Really? You definitely don't _look_ sorry._

Naruto looked back at me. I couldn't decipher his expression. He opened his mouth but I cut him off.

"I'll just go wait in the stands then." I said, turning around.

I took my time getting to the stands. Basically, I walked around the pool hall for about twenty minutes memorizing all the rooms and showcases. There was a gigantic soccer team framed picture on the wall next to the double doors that led upstairs to the seating area for the soccer field. Naruto, as one of the head forwards, stood in front grinning widely. Neji stood on one side and Kiba stood on the other with his hand on Naruto's shoulder. A strange feeling took root in me... And I couldn't figure out what it was. I found my way up to the stadium seating was surprised to find that the place was almost completely full even though the players hadn't come out onto the field yet. Our band played on the field. The cheerleaders were running around helping everyone get excited. The first person I noticed was Sakura who was standing up on a male cheerleader, a boy named Sai, shoulder's.

"N!" she shouted.

"H!" the crowd shouted.

"S!" the cheerleaders returned.

"NorthSide High!" the entire stadium cheered. "NorthSide High!"

I turned, about to get up to the tenth or eleventh row where I could be invisible in peace but then-

"Sasuke!"

I turned around. All the way down in the front row sat Naruto's skater friends, Gaara, Kankuro and Temari. Sighing, I shoved through the crowd of people standing in the walkway and got down to the front row.

"What?" I said.

"Where the hell are you going?" Kankuro asked.

Gaara moved their jackets off a seat next to him.

"Sit your ass down, Emo boy." Temari joined in.

_So much for being invisible... _

I reluctantly took the seat between Gaara and Kankuro.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" I asked. "Don't the SouthSide fans sit over there?"

"Shhh!" Kankuro said. "People will hear you."

Temari sighed.

"Well, seeing as I'm the valedictorian, I actually _have_ to sit over there. I'm just rule breaking today." she asked.

"Valedictorian?!" I asked, shocked to my core. "You?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Just because I don't dress and talk like a too-good, smartass like you do, doesn't mean I'm not intelligent."

"But you even said yourself that you skip school all the time." I reminded her.

She shrugged.

"I have good time management skills." She replied. "I mostly skip because I want to make sure these two dumbasses don't get caught. That's all."

My mind reeled over that information.

_So... Some people can actually concentrate on their studies and have full, social lives?_

I never would've pegged a girl who skips school, skateboards, and says curse words all the time as the valedictorian type. But maybe that was my problem. Maybe I needed to stop stereotyping people. Naruto certainly took everyone at face value. Maybe that was why he had so many friends...

"Why don't we drop the bullcrap?" Kankuro asked, smirking at Temari. "You're over here because you want to see _that_ guy, right?"

Temari punched him.

"Shut your stupid mouth."

"Well, the reason I'm here is clear." Gaara mumbled. "Southside will never beat Northside."

_So, basically you're all traitors..._

A drumroll sounded and a hush fell over the crowd.

"Good evening all and welcome to the Annual Regional Soccer championships!"

_Championships? Really? Why did Naruto seem to be treating it like a regular game?_

"Let's give it up for the away team, SouthSide Konoha High School!"

Every student in our section of the stands stood up and turned around so that they faced away from the field. Gaara, Kankuro and Temari followed suit.

"What are you guys doing?" I asked.

"Disrespecting SouthSide." Kankuro said.

As the players ran out onto the field, our section jeered, booed and kept their backs turn.

"You suck balls, SouthSide!"

"Go back South!"

"We're gonna crush you!"

_This is exactly why I don't attend these stupid school events... Everyone's so damn ignorant..._

"And now..."

Everyone turned around. The air seemed to get tense. I stood up so I could see over the standing people in front of me.

"Give it up for YOUR NorthSide Konoha High School players!"

The entire section seemed to explode all at once. Music blasted over the sound system speakers. (Play DJ Khaled- All I do Is Win)

Everyone was cheering and stomping their feet and jumping up and down. Temari waved a NorthSide flag and Kankuro pumped his fists. Like me, Gaara seemed completely unfazed by the events but he did participate by clapping.

"Your Goalie, Rock Lee!"

Lee came out onto the field in a number 20 jersey and pumped his fists to the crowd. Everyone raised their own fists in response.

"Your defenders..."

The defenders ran out.

"Your mid-fielders."

And they came out.

"And... your forwards; Neji Hyuga..."

I swear girls were passing out in the stands from screaming too hard when his cleats touched the field. He walked on with his hands in his pockets, a large number 5 on his back, and a soft smile on his face, taking his place next to Rock Lee.

"Kiba Inuzuka..."

Kiba ran out in his number eight jersey throwing two peace signs in the air.

"And Naruto Uzumaki."

I craned my neck to watch as Naruto ran out blowing kisses into the stands and running around excitedly. As he took his place next to Kiba, he turned his back to the crowd and pointed down at the back of his jersey which sported a big number 1. The crowd loved him.

"Kick their asses, Naruto!"

"You better do it, man!"

NorthSide stood in white uniforms with dark green numbers while SouthSide stood facing them in black uniforms with dark red numbers. I personally felt like having red and black as your school colors was much more badass than green and white but whatever.

The game started. The opposite side had possession but like a lightning bolt, Neji stole the ball and ran up the field. Naruto and Kiba flanked him far on either side of the field but Neji clearly didn't intend on passing it. He went for a shot but the goalie on the opposing side kicked it away. The ball soared to the opposite side of the field. A guy in a black shirt head butted it to another player who caught the ball, quickly spun around one of our defenders and kicked the ball... It flew into the air toward our goal and...they scored.

"What!?" Kankuro exclaimed.

Our side was completely quiet as the other side of the stadium cheered and clapped. It started all over again. This time our side had the possession. Kiba darted for the goalie with an obvious ferocity, dodging around the other teams defenders then right at the last second, he glanced over at Naruto who was struggling to get to the goal and passed it to him.

_Idiot... What is he doing? Naruto clearly has a guard on him._

Naruto went for the ball but the other team got there first, kicking it downfield. The other team passed it to each other but as they passed I noticed something...

Before I could a dwell on what I'd noticed, a forward on the opposite side kicked the ball to his teammate who head butted it toward the goal. Everyone jumped up but luckily, Rock Lee saved it.

The rest of the first half was tense. The other team scored again during a bad situation where Naruto passed the ball to Kiba and he waited a second too long before trying to score and the opposite team member stole the ball from him. Neji managed to score a goal... After fouling an opposing team member and almost getting himself sat out. I kept my eyes on the other teams players and I kept noticing the same thing... Again and again.

"Maybe we should move to the other side." Kankuro suggested when half time began.

I glared at him and he put his arms up in surrender.

"I'm kidding!" he exclaimed.

"We're not going anywhere." Gaara mumbled, leaning back in his chair. "They'll win."

I stood up and made my way across the metallic seats.

"Where are you going, Sasuke?" Temari asked.

"Bathroom." I replied.

But that was the last thing on my mind. I went back down into the school and retraced my steps to the boys locker room which luckily had the door open. I entered and followed the sound of voices which seemed to be coming from the exercise room. I paused and looked through the window.

All the teammates were sitting or lying down on mats drinking water and snacking.

"This is hopeless." Someone muttered.

"I can't believe we're going to lose at home." Kiba grumbled.

"Like I said before, we're not going to lose!" someone shouted.

I looked to the right. Naruto, who was team co captain, stood in front of them all with his arms crossed.

"That's right." Said a man I recognized as Guy Sensei. "We have the power of youth!"

"Yeah!" Rock Lee agreed.

"We just need to touch up a bit." Guy Sensei went on. "Kiba, you seriously need to work on your confidence. You can't choke up like that every time you get to the goal. I know you're worried you won't make it but you have to believe in yourself."

Kiba nodded and bowed his head, playing with the water bottle between his legs.

"Neji, you're too headstrong. Look to your teammates once in a while. That's what they're there for."

Neji was standing next to the window, looking down at the mat.

"If you guys work well as a unit and trust each other, you'll win."

_That's not all. A bit of observation also helps._

I knocked on the door and then opened it. Everyone turned around.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said.

"Dude, didn't I say teammates only?" Kiba said, getting to his feet.

He tried to block my path as I entered the room.

"It's your fault we're losing anyway." He said, glaring at me.

Then he looked to the rest of his teammates.

"He's the one who made Naruto miss practice. If he'd been there, we would've been able to get this shit straight a long time ago!" Kiba bellowed, turning back toward me.

I scoffed.

"Aren't you the one who choked in front of the goal?" I asked him.

Kiba balled his fists. Probably sensing a bad situation, Naruto edged toward us. But I didn't care, he shouldn't have tried to talk shit.

"You let your whole team down twice." I told him. "If you want someone to blame, blame yourself."

Kiba stepped up to me.

"Say that to my face, bitch." He retorted.

"I just did." I pointed out.

Naruto grabbed my arm and pulled me back, placing himself in front of me.

"Kiba, chill." He said. "He didn't force me to hang out with him. I was the one who forgot about practice."

Kiba crossed his arms and picked his water bottle up angrily.

"Whatever, just keep that asshole away from me or I might kick his ass." He mumbled, walking back toward the opposite wall.

Naruto turned to me.

"What is it?" he asked.

His blonde hair was wet from the sweat on his forehead making it look brownish. Slowly, my eyes traveled down to the bright blue eyes piercing into mine.

"I have an idea." I said quickly, trying to keep my attention level.

Kiba snorted. The rest of the team members mumbled to each other.

"Who the hell is _he_ anyway?"

"You know, Sasuke _Uchiha_... The valedictorian..."

"What soccer experience does _he_ have?"

Naruto alone took me seriously.

"And it can help us win?"

I nodded.

"Along with the advice your coach gave you." I said.

Naruto turned to Guy Sensei who nodded.

"Let's hear him out." Guy Sensei agreed.

"Bullshit..." I heard Kiba mutter.

"I noticed that one of the forwards on the opposite team hasn't had possession of the ball once."

Everyone was silent.

"So what?" Kiba spoke out.

"So..." I went on. "There must be a reason why he hasn't had possession."

Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Not everyone has possession of the ball in a game. A _true_ player would know that." He said smirking. "See? This guy's full of shit."

Neji slowly looked up.

"No." he said slowly. "He's right... Bradley Ackerman. The lead forward on the other team hasn't possessed the ball all game."

"They're purposely not giving him the ball and working harder to make up for his absence. That's why they're beating you. Because their drive is stronger. They know they're already out numbered." I said.

"Why the hell would they avoid their lead player on purpose?" Kiba asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" I said, looking around at everyone.

They all seemed to be thinking it over. Naruto alone snapped his fingers.

"He's injured." He realized. "He's injured and they're trying to cover up for it. If they take him out of the game and put in a bench player, they're thinking we'll see it as a weakness and play harder."

"Exactly." I agreed.

"So, what's your idea?" Neji asked. "How can we use that knowledge to our advantage?"

"You, Naruto, Kiba and a couple other mid fielders will have to put pressure on the other forwards forcing them to pass him the ball. Once they do..."

"It'll be a cake walk taking the ball from him and beating him." Naruto said.

"If we keep doing that, they'll take him out at some point." Kiba pointed out.

"But you'll at least be able to tie the game and get yourselves into overtime by then." I said, sliding my hands into my pockets.

"Sasuke's right." Naruto said encouragingly. "We have to try. It's only 1 to 3. We can still win this!"

Everyone started to get excited.

_Having a game plan always helps..._

They all stood up and began talking encouragingly and optimistically. Neji slowly came over to me and Naruto.

"Incredibly perceptive for someone just sitting in the stands." He complimented me. "You're pretty good."

I shrugged. Naruto threw his arms around me, surprising me and making me almost fall backwards.

"Dude! If we win this game, I'm gonna love you forever!"

"It's up to you to win the game." I said, prying him off me.

The timer rang signaling it was time to go back out onto the field. I left the room and went all the way back to the stands.

"You were gone for a long time." Gaara noticed.

I shrugged. The teams crowed back out onto the field. Bradley Ackerman, the injured player, was still an active player. I watched as the game began with the opposite team having possession. Everyone seemed to be doing what we planned. Putting extra pressure on the other forwards while leaving Ackerman completely open, much to his confusion. But still, for about ten minutes, it was a complete stalemate. They couldn't figure out how to keep the forwards busy and score at the same time. The other team wasn't breaking. They weren't giving the ball to Ackerman. No one was scoring. Time was passing.

_Come on... Figure it out..._

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, Kiba dove for the ball forcing the forward to back up and, without any options, he finally kicked it to Ackerman. It was obvious he was off guard. Neji stole the ball from him and ran down the field. He had two people crowding in on him.

_You're not alone, Neji. Come on..._

And by some kind of miracle, Neji looked up and over at Kiba and kicked the ball to him. Kiba ran down the field at a medium speed level, spun around an incoming player and tossed the ball to the right to get it around another one.

_He has some fancy footwork. If only he had confidence..._

Kiba neared the goal, stuck his left foot into the ground and went for a solid kick.

"Yes!" Kankuro shouted.

But right as soon as he did it, another player came up behind him and kicked him in the legs. Kiba's legs flew out from under him. His back hit the ground hard but the ball he'd kicked went curved and spun past the goalie, who dove the opposite direction, and straight into the net. But no one cheered. Everyone's eyes were on Kiba who looked like he'd gotten injured.

"Aw, shit." Kankuro muttered.

"Damn SouthSide." Temari grumbled.

The referees along with the Northside team ran over to him as fast as they could. Naruto got there first and bent on his knees. After a second, Kiba stood up. And raised his arms to the crowd. Everyone seemed to let out a sigh of relief. Everyone in our section clapped and cheered.

"Kibaaa! Kibaaa! Kibaaa!" everyone chanted.

"Good." Gaara said.

Then the referee awarded Kiba a free kick and everyone was going wild. Kiba took his position in front of the goal post. A hush fell over the crowd. It was so quiet, we could've heard a pin drop. We all waited.


	3. Chapter 3

Naruto

*Big Moment*

"It's just like how we practiced that time, man." I whispered to Kiba.

He nodded, bouncing on his heels.

"Do a curved kick. No one can block those. They're way too good."

He smiled but I could tell he was freaking out. I patted him on the back.

"You got this!"

He nodded again. I left the field with the rest of the players. A direct free kick was something he needed to do on his own. The time kept going.

_If you win this, we'll at least get overtime. _

Kiba set his foot back, getting ready to kick.

_Come on, Kiba. Give us another chance._

He ran forward toward the ball cocked his foot back and gave it one of those jarring, crazy spin power kicks. I blinked so I heard the outcome before I saw it. The ball hit the net. The entire stadium went crazy, including the SouthSide who was probably mad at their team for fouling.

I glanced over at the front row where I had spotted Sasuke sitting earlier next to Gaara and the rest. They were all jumping up and down and cheering with everyone else. I ran over to Kiba, ruffling his hair and hugging him. The rest of the team got there, too. We huddled. Everyone looked to me.

"Two minutes left, guys." I said. "Two minutes. I know it seems impossible... But fuck overtime, let's finish this shit here and now."

Everyone nodded, getting into the mood.

"They're taking Ackerman out so we can't use that opening anymore. We're going to have to play better than we ever have in our lives." I told them. "But we can do this."

"Hell yeah!" Kiba agreed.

We all put our hands in the middle.

"N! H! S!" we shouted.

They had possession first. The noise of the crowd was loud in my ears. The forwards barreled past us, ready to shoot. Our defense failed.

_No, no, no. Dammit!_

The forward kicked, the ball shot into the air straight for the side of the goal Rock Lee wasn't standing in. But, like some kind of taijutsu master, Lee bolted toward the other side of the goal extending his body completely horizontally and spin-kicked the ball out of the way. Everyone cheered.

"Hell Yeah!" I shouted. "That's what I'm talking about Lee!"

He picked the ball up, took a step back and kicked it far across the field over to us. Everything began moving in slow motion. The ball was heading straight for me. I turned to the scoreboard.

_Fifteen seconds..._

Everyone was standing on their feet.

_How the hell am I going to score in fifteen seconds?_

The ball came down. A player dove for it, way too early. I caught it in my chest allowing it to bounce on the ground in front of me. I ran forward with it, bolting straight for the goal as fast as I could.

_Eight..._

I spun around a mid-fielder who tried to block me. Kiba had some pretty fancy dodge moves but I was pretty decent, too.

_Seven..._

Another player came straight for me, sliding into me with his foot pointed straight at me. I kicked the ball around him, jumped over his entire body and kept it moving.

_Five..._

Two more players were in my path blocking Neji and Kiba so I couldn't pass it. I wasn't thinking of passing anyway. I'm the fastest one on the team. Only I can get there. I could hear them cheering my nickname.

"The Yellow Flash has the ball! Oh! He's going! That kid is GONE!" the announcer exclaimed.

_Three..._

"Yellow Flash!" everyone cheered.

Finally, it was just me and the goalie. He tensed. I stepped forward, cocking my foot back. Kicked it with all my might.

"Right at the buzzer! He kicks it!" shouted the announcer.

Everyone was silent. I could feel the beads of sweat rolling down my back.

_Please don't fuck up..._

The goalie was in the air. He hit the ball with the tips of his fingers giving it a wild spin. Up, up...over him and...

"It's in!" the announcer declared.

The ball hit the net. The stadium exploded with cheering. The time ran out. The score changed... 4 to 3.

I stood there, feeling a bit dumbfounded. Everything still felt like it was moving in slow motion.

_Did we just win the championships?_

I turned and looked at the stands. My eyes locked onto where Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets. Slowly, he nodded at me. I grinned, nodding back.

_Couldn't have done it without you._

The next thing I knew I was on the ground. All my teammates were on me. Hugging me, ruffling my hair, grabbing for just a graze of my blessed skin.

"We won!"

The referees brought the trophy out. Everyone raised their hands like they were unworthy of touching the precious gold and pointed to me instead.

_Really? _I_ get to hold it?_

I was handed the trophy. I thrust it into the air and in response, the crowd roared back.

I was on a constant buzz for the next thirty minutes. We went back to the locker rooms. Guy Sensei was actually tearing up along with Rock Lee.

"You saved that goal like a pro, Lee. I'm so proud of you."

"Guy Sensei!"

_Weirdest relationship I've ever seen in my life..._

Everyone was surrounding me. Asking me how it felt to score a goal at the buzzer.

"Like magic!" I exclaimed. "Freaking amazing!"

But there was one person I wanted to see more than all of them. And right on cue, after we'd all showered up and were sitting in the exercise room just winding down, he came in. I grinned.

"Sasuke." I said.

He walked in calmly.

"So you won, huh?" he asked.

I grinned.

"Don't try to pretend like you aren't excited just like everyone else."

He rolled his eyes but slowly, he cracked a smile.

"Congratulations." Was all he said.

Guy Sensei came up behind us and grabbed Sasuke's shoulder.

"You!" he exclaimed, pulling Sasuke in for a hug.

I could've died. The look on his face...

"If it wasn't for you we would've lost!"

Sasuke pushed against him and finally succeeded in breaking away.

"Uh... No, it... It was nothing." He said, taking multiple steps back.

"You're a true genius, kid. Why don't you join the team? I can make an extra special position just for you!" he told him. "How does Team Assistant Coach sound?"

The other teammates looked at Sasuke appreciatively.

"Yeah, man. We couldn't have done it without you." Someone said.

"I'm alright without that." Sasuke muttered.

Neji cocked his head.

"It'll look good on a college application." He told him. "Just try it."

Sasuke was silent for a while and then he shrugged.

"Well, then... Sure... I guess." He finally said.

_...Anything for scholarships, huh, Sasuke?_

Everyone cheered and patted Sasuke on the back or shook his hand on their way out. I let out a slow breath.

_But for some reason... I'm glad you took up that offer._

Everyone slowly made their way out and soon Sasuke and I were alone...with the exception of Kiba who was still posting up against the wall. Slowly, he walked up to Sasuke. Sasuke turned to him, eyes cold and blank. They stared each other down, neither spoke and then Kiba sighed.

"As much as it kills me to say this..." he began. "Thank you for the help."

Sasuke nodded and slowly, Kiba smiled.

"Hey, we're having an after party at my sister's apartment around nine or ten pm tonight." He informed him. "You should come."

Sasuke shrugged.

"Maybe."

I grinned and put my arm around Sasuke's shoulders.

"We'll definitely be there." I confirmed.

Kiba grinned and then left. Sasuke ducked from under my arm.

"Why do you keep signing me up for stuff?"

I smirked at him.

"Because I know you don't have shit else to do."

Sasuke turned toward the trophy up on the mantle and we both gazed at it.

"That was the best moment of my life." I found myself saying.

Sasuke looked at me.

"It was just...incredible." I whispered. "I still can't believe I actually did that."

"You were like lightning." He said. "Literally, you just took off."

I smiled.

"You know... Even though I hate you and everything..." I slowly looked up at him through my strands of hair. "I'm glad you're here, Sasuke."

We gazed at each other for a moment. I took a step toward him and softly grabbed his hand. Sasuke looked down at our interlocked fingers questioningly and then pulled his hand away.

"Let's go." He said.

I nodded and we left the room. Outside, everyone from the stands were still running around the parking lot, cheering and partying. Kiba was giving select people the invite to his sister's house which included all the cheerleaders. My eyes wandered over to Sakura prancing around in that ultra-short forest green skirt of hers...

"Yellow Flash!" someone yelled.

The crowd started whooping and hollering. I waved and grinned at everyone. We made our way to Bee's Camaro and got inside.

"Where are we going to go?" I asked him.

"Maybe to give Killer Bee his car back?" Sasuke suggested.

I snickered.

"Hell no." I said. "I'm keeping this baby for at least the rest of the weekend. He won't miss it. He doesn't even drive it."

I swerved out into the parking lot, making an illegal u-turn and speeding toward the stop sign, where I made a rolling stop.

"Do you even have a license?" Sasuke asked me.

I laughed.

"Yeah, right..."

*Tension and Suspicions*

We ended up stopping home to waste time before the party. I was incredibly lucky that Tsunade wasn't there. Instead, we ran into Konohamaru who was counting stacks of money he got from God knows where with a short, quiet kid named Inari that he hung out with. And when I say quiet, I truly mean quiet. I'd never heard Inari say a word in his life. Konohamaru left shortly after we arrived.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Just around the corner, _Mom_." He retorted.

"You're really going to lie to me?" I asked.

He sighed, glanced at Sasuke who was standing next to me and then lowered his voice.

"It's for Inari." He whispered. "I need to pay some guys off or else he might really be in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" I asked.

Konohamaru gave me a piercing look.

"What kind do you _think_?" he asked.

Inari who was standing right there staring at me in that dark, creepy way he usually did nodded curtly and they both left.

"Talk about weird kids." Sasuke muttered.

I sighed and tossed my soccer bag to the floor next to the door.

"Sounds like Inari got into some drug dealing problem." I mumbled. "Probably taking more than he's selling."

"Those little kids do drugs?" Sasuke asked.

"I've never asked but I've seen the way Konohamaru looks when he comes home sometimes." I replied pulling the refrigerator door open. "Looks like he's been taking X or maybe even snorting."

"Doing what?"

I turned and looked at him.

"What planet do you live on?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Just explain it."

"Taking X, that's ecstasy or MDMA. And snorting, that's cocaine." I clarified. "I hope you've at least heard of coke."

"In passing." He replied. "Isn't that way too harsh for a ten year old?"

"They're twelve." I told him. "But yeah, it's harsh for anyone. He doesn't know I know."

Nothing was in the refrigerator. I headed to the cabinet and looked inside.

"What does it do anyway?"

"It's an upper." I said, moving stuff around on the top shelf. "Damn it, there's like no food in here. Not even one ramen package!"

"Pay attention." He said. "What do you mean by upper?"

"It makes you feel good. Like you're on top of the world. Like nothing bad could ever happen. An increased sense of positivity." I said, closing the cabinet.

I moved over to the lower cabinets and opened them.

"You mean... euphoria?" he asked.

"Yeah, I guess." I said, moving random empty cookie and cracker boxes out of the way.

"So... How much would you have to pay for something like that anyway?"

I paused. Sasuke was standing behind the counter so he couldn't see my face. And it was a good thing he couldn't.

"...Why would you want to know that, Sasuke?" I asked carefully.

I could hear him shuffling his feet, probably moving his weight from one foot to the other. I'd known him for such a short period of time but I already could tell that he did that when he was thinking about his answers seriously.

"Why not?" he asked.

I stood up straight and looked directly into his eyes.

"Konohamaru would know something like that, not me." I said. "I'm not interested in hard drugs."

He nodded.

"But, Sasuke..."

He looked over at me as I came around the counter and stood directly in front of him with solid, serious eyes.

"If you _ever_ ask my brother for drugs... I'll kick your ass." I told him.

We stared at each other. Sasuke scoffed.

"As if I'd ever do something like that." He said.

"Okay, just making sure we're clear." I said, still watching him carefully.

I went back to the cabinet and by the grace of God found a six pack box of Ramen noodles.

"Yes!" I shouted, fist pumping. "Score!"

I took two out and put them on the table.

"Ramen?" he questioned.

"I'm sorry this isn't a five star hotel." I replied.

He shook his head. I got two pots out and poured water into them.

"What were you getting a job for?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh?"

"Like two days ago... Konohamaru told you to forget about getting a job for him."

I sighed.

"He's been fucking up in school. It's because he has dyslexia and all the kids make fun of him for it so he thinks he can just beat the shit out of anyone he wants. That's why he keeps getting expelled. I wanted to get him a therapist..." I said, turning the stove on. "To help him with his anger issues."

"Wow." He said. "That's really considerate."

I looked at him and grinned.

"Surprised? Do you really think I'm just an asshole?" I asked.

He looked away from me and said nothing else. We ate pretty much in silence as I flipped through the channels looking for something to watch. After I spent an hour watching American Dad reruns, I glanced over at Sasuke who'd fallen asleep on the couch.

"Dude, get the heck off the couch." I said. "If you're going to sleep, go in my room or else Tsunade will annoy the hell out of me if she comes home."

He stood up sleepily and walked off. I dropped our bowls in the sink and followed him a bit later. My door was closed but I didn't think anything of it and pushed it open. My eyebrows jumped up.

"Shit!" I exclaimed.

Sasuke, who'd been turned around, jumped and faced me.

"Can you knock?" he asked, taking multiple steps backward.

He tried to cover his torso with his arms but it was already too late. I walked closer to him.

"What...the hell happened to you?" I asked.

His back was bruised up pretty bad but his chest was bruised worse. I reached for him and he backed up and picked the shirt he was wearing off the bed.

"Stay away from me."

He pulled the shirt over his head, hiding all of the red and purplish marks on him. But it was something I wouldn't ever unsee. He glanced at me and looked away quickly.

"Stop staring at me."

_Why am I getting such a strange feeling right now?_

I walked closer to him.

"Seriously, what happened?" I asked.

_But it's obvious... Someone had to have kicked his ass... And pretty fucking bad, too._

"It's none of your business." He muttered.

_And also, why do I feel like... Like...I want to..._

I grabbed his shirt, trying to lift it up. He shoved me away.

"Don't _fucking_ touch me!" he yelled at me.

I jumped back.

"Sasuke..." I whispered.

"Leave me alone." He whispered.

He was staring down at my bed sheets. I raised my hands in surrender.

"Fine." I said. "I'm leaving."

I turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind me. Instead of going anywhere, I slid down to the floor next to my door and put my head in my hands.

_What the hell is up with me lately?_

I heard my bedsprings creak, like Sasuke had flopped down onto my bed.

_And...what the hell is going on with _him_?_

*After Party*

We drove up to Kiba's sister's bigass one-story apartment. Everyone had parked a street or two away as not to attract police attention. I'd called Killer Bee and his friends up on my phone for a favor and they met me out front.

"Gonna give me my car back?" Killer Bee asked.

I laughed like he'd told a really hilarious joke. Darui pulled a keg out of his trunk and sat it on the ground. Omoi tugged the other keg out and set it down next to the first one.

"That should be enough for some high schoolers." Omoi said. "Or maybe it's too much and you'll all drink a lot and get alcohol poisoning..."

Everyone rolled their eyes but I grinned.

"Hopefully it'll be enough or else I'll be calling you back.

Darui snorted.

"Like hell we'll come." He said.

"Why don't you just stay?" I questioned.

"At a high school party? Really? You and Sasuke are cool but the majority of you kids are just annoying." Darui said.

"Dude, you're only twenty, cut the big-boy act." I retorted.

He ruffled my hair and I punched him in the arm. After that, the dark skinned college juniors with dyed blonde hair hopped into Darui's convertible and got out of there as fast as they could.

"They're just afraid they'll go to jail if we get caught." I explained to Sasuke. "Because they're supplying minors."

He shrugged. He'd been annoyingly quiet after I had walked in on him. Even quieter than usual. It was driving me half crazy. People were walking past us up the steps and letting themselves into the house.

"Guys! You made it!" a voice sounded.

We turned to see Shikamaru, Choji and Sakura jogging toward us.

"We saw that game, man!" Choji said. "I was going insane!"

He grabbed me and gave me a congratulatory hug while Shikamaru patted me on the head.

"That was really awesome, Naruto." Sakura said, then she glanced at Sasuke looking at him from head to toe.

"Hi." She said to him.

"Hi." He mumbled.

I turned my head, planning to listen to more of their conversation but the guys distracted me. Shikamaru and Choji lifted one of the kegs together.

"Bring in the other one. There are a lot of people here already."

I nodded to Sasuke who gripped one side of the other keg while I gripped the other. We entered through the back door, setting the kegs down next to the kitchen table along with select bottles of whatever liquor Kiba's sister had acquired. I knew a lot about liquor... It was impossible for me not to, living with an alcoholic foster mother. Sasuke and I walked into the large den which had been turned into a dance floor fit with special lights to make people wearing white glow and everything. Sasuke, who'd kept my black Levi's on along with his black tie and vest was completely downcast while I, wearing my white skinny jeans and white thermal basically drew everyone's attention. But I would've drawn everyone's attention, anyway.

"Yellow Flash! Great game man!" said a kid I didn't even know.

As we edged through the crowd, already holding drinks and moving in rhythm to the music, random people slapped me on the back, ruffled my hair and high fived me. I got closer to the DJ station, which was elevated on a small staircase, where another friend of mine, Shino, controlled the turn tables. Kiba himself stood there with Rock Lee. Seeing me and Sasuke, he grinned.

"Hey, hey, Shino, hold up on the music. I want to say something."

The music whirled to a stop.

"What's up everybody?!" Kiba shouted.

Everyone raised their drinks and shouted back in return. There were around fifty people standing in just the den while I knew about twenty other people were most likely wandering around this house and still more people were coming in.

_Kiba invited the whole damn city of Konoha..._

"I got an announcement, guys!" he said. "As you know, my bro Naruto over here scored the winning goal like a mother fucking boss!"

Everyone roared in agreement. I felt like I was on the soccer field again.

"But what you don't know, is that without a particular someone, we wouldn't even have won that game."

_...Whoa...is he gonna say what I think he is..._

"Everyone give some mad respect to Sasuke Uchiha." He said, pointing at him. "That mother fucker right there, man. He's a fucking genius!"

There was that "wait, who?" moment but then most people's eyes locked on him and they started clapping. It was a slow clap...that got faster and louder until it became a roaring chant louder than the one they'd given me.

"This guy's plan was OFF THE CHARTS!" Kiba yelled over everyone. "He deserves ALL the respect! If anybody fucks with him from here on out, you're fucking with the whole damn soccer team!"

The rest of the soccer players raised their cups to Sasuke and nodded in agreement. Sasuke looked at me. I grinned at him. His lips moved. Over the loud noise of people cheering his name and clapping for him, I couldn't make out what he said but I was sure it was...

"_Thank You."_

Shino turned the music back on. (Play Skrillex-Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites)

People who actually could dance and had rhythm started free styling immediately. A dance circle formed. Kiba, Choji, Shikamaru and I edged toward the kitchen.

"I got drinks for daaaaays, man." Kiba declared.

"Just brought two kegs!" I told him.

"For real!?" he exclaimed. "Dammit, man! I love you!"

We fist bumped.

"Shot contest, or what?" I asked him.

"You know it!" Kiba said. "You in Choji, Shikamaru?"

Choji nodded.

"Eh, maybe one round." Shikamaru said, shrugging.

"This guy doesn't ever feel like doing shit." I said to Sasuke. "That's his _only_ problem."

Everyone laughed. We all poured ourselves a shot of vodka. I passed Sasuke a shot even though he didn't ask for it. He took it straight to the head along with the rest of us.

"Any for the girls?"

Sakura walked up with Ino and Hinata flanking her.

"This is a big boy drink, ladies." Kiba said. "Go get some fruit punch."

We all laughed but I patted Sakura on the shoulder.

"I'll pour you some." I said.

She grabbed for a cup but I pushed it away from her.

"Nah, you want to be like a man, right? Take that shit straight to the head." I said.

She rolled her eyes and pushed my hand away from her. Just like I expected, not giving me the time of day.

"Ohhhh buuuuurn!" Kiba exclaimed, taking another shot.

I noticed Sasuke also taking another shot out of the corner of my eye. The girls poured themselves drinks and took them together.

"Round two, round two!" Ino shouted.

I rolled my eyes, pouring myself a second one too.

_Light weight idiots... They're gonna be wasted in like five seconds..._

They all linked arms and took a second one. The previous song was fading out, being switched with a new one. (Play Lmfao-Shots)

"Ayee! Shino got the right fucking song, man!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Round three!" I joined in. "Who's out?"

Shikamaru raised his hands.

"I'll pass." He said.

I glanced at Sasuke who nodded, up for another round.

"I guess I'll go for some more." Said Choji.

The girls were all for it.

"Seriously, ladies... I'm not eligible to be sued if you get shit faced." I said to them.

People flooded into the kitchen, feeling the mood of the music. Everyone was pouring themselves some drinks. We all got our hands on our third round, including the girls. Everyone took it straight back except Sakura who started coughing. I grinned, already feeling the effects of the drinks.

"One too many?" I asked her.

Sasuke patted Sakura on the back.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

She moved her head like she was shaking it and nodding at the same time.

"I can drink it down like a pro, give me another try." She said.

Sasuke picked up a glass bottle.

"There's a little more left in this one." He said.

Sakura tilted her head back allowing Sasuke to pour it straight into her mouth. This time she didn't cough. She leaned into him, giggling softly.

"I want to daaaaance." Ino suddenly complained.

She grabbed the nearest guy's hand, which just happened to be Kiba, and pulled him along with her. Sakura pulled on Sasuke.

"Let's dance." She said to him.

He walked along with her, looking like he was being dragged and glanced back at me.

"Get it, Sasuke!" I shouted encouragingly.

He rolled his eyes at me and was quickly lost in the crowd. The back door creaked open and I glanced over to see three people I knew very well walking in.

"What's up, SouthSide?!" I yelled.

Kankuro flipped me the bird and Temari rolled her eyes.

"We have absolutely no school spirit." Gaara mumbled.

I fist bumped them all and grinned.

"Nah, I'm glad you're here." I said.

"Why? Because we always bring the leaves?" Kankuro asked.

"No because I actually like you!" I said. "But that's a plus, how much?"

"Let's just say it's more than we've ever had in front of you." Gaara said.

_Shiiiiit. Must be some serious pot..._

A giant grin suddenly broke out onto Temari's face.

"Hey, Shikamaru!" she said.

Shikamaru who was standing on my other side looking toward the dance floor looked around me and smiled.

"What's up?" he said.

"Nothing, this is a great party." She said.

He nodded. "Yeah, it's awesome."

I glanced at Kankuro who rolled his eyes.

_Awkward small talk..._

"Want to go...uh..." Shikamaru said scratching his head.

"Yeah!" Temari said before he could even think of a good place to say.

We watched them walking away. Gaara opened a can of beer and sipped some.

"The real reason we're here is because she basically dragged us." He admitted. "Now I see why."

I turned around, and gripped the island.

_Three drinks? That can't be too much..._

"Whoa! Check it out!" Kankuro suddenly said.

I looked at him and Gaara who were both looking toward the makeshift dance floor in the den.

"Is that Sasuke?" Gaara asked.

I blinked a couple times, waiting for my vision to steady.

Sasuke was dancing with Sakura. Well, actually, he wasn't doing anything except locking his knees. Sakura was doing all the work. She was completely bent over in front of him going to town on him. Kiba stood next to him with his hands on his head. Ino was dancing on him the same way.

"Yeah... That's him, alright." I mumbled.

"Gettin' _ass_!" Kankuro shouted. "I wish I could get that... Damn..."

"Isn't that the cheerleader?" Gaara asked.

I nodded slowly. Choji leaned in and gazed at the dance floor.

"Lucky jackass." Choji mumbled. "I've been trying to get Ino to give me a lap dance for years."

"Fuck Ino!" Kankuro said. "Sasuke's girl, the one that dyed her hair pink, she's shaking that thing like it's her fucking _job_! Damn, look at her go!"

_Sasuke's _girl_? Since when...?_

It was true. Sakura's fingers were on the floor, keeping her from falling over and somehow she still had the strength to shake her ass like there was no tomorrow.

But the more I watched, the more I felt...indescribable.

Sasuke was backing up. It was clearly his first time dancing like that.

"He's gonna need some support." Gaara said.

"Maybe if he fucks up, she'll come over here." Kankuro said hopefully.

_Nah, Sakura's probably had her eyes set on Sasuke since he became a genius... Which was before pre-k... She won't give him up._

I was more surprised that Sasuke was going along with something like that.

_Normally, he would say: "Why should I do something pointless like this?" or "I have no interest in dancing like that." ...Right?_

Sasuke's feet continued to slide backwards. Sakura was freaking piledriving him.

I looked over at Hinata who was standing next to the keg watching as people poured themselves cups of beer. We locked eyes. I motioned toward the dance floor. She smiled, nodded and came right over.

_So damn easy..._

As we got onto the dance floor, the song changed and became a bit more fit for that style of dancing. Shino was really on top of things. I didn't even know he could DJ. In school, he was just the weird kid in class who was obsessed with the study of insects...

I pulled Hinata over to Sasuke and Sakura and put my hand on his back, giving him the support he so desperately needed. He turned and nodded at me. One look at his face told me why he wasn't protesting to Sakura's actions.

_You're so damn drunk..._

Ino stood up next to us and grabbed Kiba's hand.

"Come on." She said in slurred speech to him.

They stumbled through the crowd and Kiba grinned at me and mouthed: "Score!"

_Whatever, you aren't scoring shit..._

I leaned up against Sasuke so that our backs pressed together and Hinata bent down on me. (Play Miley Cyrus- We Can't Stop)

With Sasuke's back against mine, I could feel his movements and matched mine to his perfectly so that the pressure evened out.

_This is like some kind of dance orgy._

But I wasn't complaining. For a shy girl, Hinata was actually pretty good at it. At the sound of the new song, multiple people rushed onto the dance floor and assumed positions like ours.

_Is this like the female national anthem or something?_

In the back of my mind, I was paying a decent amount of attention to Sasuke. His movements, the roll of his ass on mine as he compensated for Sakura's flocculating gyrations from fast to slow.

I wondered if Sakura liked him and I wondered if he liked her back and I wondered where that placed me... Slowly, but surely, Sasuke had basically slid into all of my roles in life. He quickly acquired all of my friends, favorite sports and activities, my clothes and even the girl I was interested in...

_Am I jealous?_

"Naruto."

It was Sasuke calling me. I had zoned out watching Hinata dance on me. I turned my head slightly so I could hear him better.

"What?"

"I saw Gaara and them earlier." He said. "Did they bring..."

He trailed off but I knew what he meant.

"Yeah." I said, steadying my feet as Hinata slowed down. "They got it."

"Great. Let's go get some." He said.

"Sasuke." I said.

"...What?"

We were so close that over the loud music, we could hear each other clearly but neither girl or anyone close to us could eavesdrop.

"You just drank, are you sure?" I asked him.

He tapped Sakura on the shoulder giving her the signal to stop. I grabbed Hinata's arm and pulled her up. He turned to me and smirked at me.

"You Only Live Once, right?" he said.

I sighed.

_Yeah, but... At this rate, Sasuke, you'll..._

"Where are you going, Sasuke?"

Sakura had an anxious expression on her face. Like she was worried she did something wrong. Sasuke didn't even look at her. He was craning his neck over the heads of the people in the crowd, probably looking for our SouthSide friends.

"We're just going upstairs for a second." I reassured her. "We'll be back."

"Yeah." Sasuke mumbled, without even sparing her a glance.

We found our way back to the kitchen where Gaara and Kankuro stood.

"Trying to go now?" I asked them.

Kankuro nodded. He was born ready to smoke. Gaara shrugged and we kept it moving.

"Let's make it a private party." Gaara suggested. "I'm not going to let everyone just horde off my stuff."

"Good idea." Sasuke said.

We went up the stairs and by some stroke of luck found a door that wasn't locked and went inside. There was nothing inside except a futon sofa and a bean bag chair. Sasuke and I sat on the futon, Gaara took the bean bag chair and Kankuro squatted on the floor. He took his weed out of his pocket and Gaara pulled a backpack I hadn't even noticed he was wearing off of his back and pulled out two bongs.

"You guys are so fucking prepped, man!" I exclaimed.

"We do this for a living." Kankuro joked.

_I can see that... Maybe I need to reconsider my friends._

But as Gaara and Kankuro prepped both bongs using cold water bottles from downstairs. I rolled my eyes.

_Nah, these guys are as good as it gets._

The music from downstairs floated upstairs through the vents. (Play Wiz Khalifa- Young, Wild and Free)

They passed me a lighter and the bong and I turned to Sasuke on the couch.

"Light it and cover up the opening with your thumb." I instructed him. "And when the smoke comes, suck all of it up."

He nodded. His eyes trailed over to Gaara who took the first hit off of their bong.

"It's a lot more than just rolling up." I warned him.

He shrugged and took a hit like he'd been doing it his whole life.

_Why do I even worry about this guy? It's like he's a freaking natural at..._life.

He passed it to me when he was finished and lit it up. It went on like that until we were all way too fucked up to even try.

Things moved quickly, then slowly, then quickly again. Gaara and Kankuro said they wanted some beer and went downstairs.

"Where did the other guys go?" Sasuke asked.

I smiled and poked him.

"Dude, you asked that like...five seconds ago."

He raised his eyebrows.

"I did?"

"Yeah. Actually, I think this is like...the fourth time you asked that." I told him.

He started laughing. It was the strangest thing in the world to see that guy laugh. I'd only seen him smile like...two or three times and now suddenly he was laughing.

"That's crazy..." he said.

I shook my head and grinned.

"Dude, you're so freaking high right now." I said.

"I'm not even..." he said, trailing off. "I'm-I'm-I'm..."

It was my turn to burst out laughing.

"You're sooo done." I said. "For the rest of the night, nothing else."

He laughed.

"You're not my mother." He said.

The mention of the mother sparked a question in my head.

"Speaking of moms, whatever happened to your mother?" I asked him.

He turned to me and shook his head but he was smiling.

"Something that I don't want to talk about."

"Ever?" I asked.

"You're killing my vibe."

"I wanna know!" I said, nudging him.

"She died." He said. "Along with my father... In a house fire."

"A house fire?" I asked. "How did that happen?"

"Hell if I know." He replied.

I slowly turned to him, looking at him closely.

"You're like...perfect aren't you?" I asked him.

He blinked at me.

"Huh?"

"You only have to do things once... And you've already got it." I explained. "Like skateboarding and rapping and now soccer..."

He continued blinking at me.

"And you're basically a genius." I said. "And... And Sakura likes you..."

A lot of time seemed to pass, when Sasuke spoke, he didn't sound as buzzed as he previously had.

"Do you feel like I'm...stealing your life?"

I looked up at the ceiling.

"I did for a second." I admitted. "But now..."

I turned to him and smiled.

"Well, before... I didn't really have a best friend. Someone who knew the whole me, you know? Someone who could understand...my life at home and my Westside friends and my Southside friends and soccer and everything..." I told him. "But you... You're the perfect friend because like me, you're universal."

He smiled.

"Universal, huh?" he said.

He was quiet for a second and then he laughed.

"I used to hate you, you know?" he said. "Walking around the school in your jerseys with Kiba and the rest... Hitting on girls, breaking rules, doing the bare minimum just to get by..."

I watched him as he spoke.

"I used to think you were so damn lucky." He said. "To be able to just... Do whatever you want. Go to parties, say 'fuck everything' and just not give a damn... So I guess my decision to be with you all this time has just been a physical manifestation of my own desperate need to..."

"Be in control?" I asked.

He didn't reply.

It didn't sound right, though. Sasuke seemed to be on the control freak side. The type that will freak out it things aren't in a pre-designed order. But this entire time, he was following me, going with the flow, being absolutely spontaneous.

"It doesn't feel like I'm in control." He finally said. "But... I know that doing this... Being with you... Is something that he wouldn't like. At least I'm in control of defying him..."

_Who's he?_

"You know... I used to think you were so in control of your life. And I used to be jealous of that... But..." he began.

"But... when I saw what your life is like at home, I realized that..." he paused and looked at me. "You don't have everything handed to you like I thought you did. You make school your safe haven. A place where you call the shots because home is so unpredictable. Right?"

_I guess that's correct._

I nodded.

"Is that...the same as you?" I asked him.

Something dark passed over his eyes and then he blinked and it was gone.

"Not really." He mumbled, turning his eyes back to the wall.

We were silent for a while.

"I guess all I'm trying to say is that... I like...who you turned out to be." He finally said.

We locked eyes. His hand was on mine, playing with my fingers. He smiled. I couldn't help but smile back. A memory came to mind. A memory of the dream I was having before Sasuke shook me awake that morning. As I looked into his eyes, the hairs on the back of my neck rose with the memory of his lips on mine and tasting his tongue.

I felt something else rising also, pushing forward behind my zipper. That unpredictable nature of mine, it was taking root again. Sasuke got to his feet.

"If we stay up here all night, the party will end." He said, slipping his hands into his pockets.

I stood up and grabbed his arm.

"Wait... There's...something I want to do." I told him.

Author Note: As you can probably see from the foreshadowing above, this story is about to edge into "yaoi" territory if you don't like yaoi or you're a guy then... "Forgive Me. This is it." However, if you ARE interested please comment below and tell me so that I'll freely upload the next part. If no one comments, I'll just take it as no one being interested in the boyxboy half.


	4. Chapter 4

Sasuke

*Out of Control*

My buzz was wearing off. I wanted to get downstairs as fast as I could to see what was left of the alcohol. Something... Anything to get rid of my thoughts...

Naruto was constantly asking all of the right questions...and all of the wrong questions... I was running out of lies to tell.

I reached for the doorknob but he grabbed my arm and stopped me. He pushed me back against the wall.

(Play Robin Thicke-Blurred Lines)

"I...it's really weird but... For a while now, I've felt like..." he began.

I stared at him. He avoided my eyes.

"Let me go." I said, trying to pull his hands off me.

Suddenly, he picked his head up and looked at me fiercely.

"Sasuke, I...I really want to..."

Before I could say anything else, he pressed himself onto me. His mouth pressed to mine gently. Completely caught off guard, I pushed him back.

"What the hell?" was all I could think to say.

My chest was moving up and down rapidly. My lips tingled. I couldn't tell if I was excited or scared.

_He just... He just... What's going on?_

"Sasuke, it's fine. Stop squirming." He said.

He tried to get closer to me but I put my hands on his chest and kept pushing him back.

"What do you think you're doing?" I asked him.

"It's just a kiss, Sasuke." He told me.

_Why the hell are you being so calm about this?_

In my confusion, he breached the distance again and reconnected our lips. I pushed back against him and he slowly pulled away.

"Just relax." He said.

He slowly pressed his cold, damp lips to my neck. I shivered, momentarily losing the will to keep him away. But it was just for a moment.

"You're high, Naruto." I said. "Get off!"

He didn't reply. He continued kissing me, making a line down my neck.

_No, no, no... I can't... I can't..._

"You don't know what you're doing." I went on.

Naruto's hand slid onto my chest from under my shirt. I shuddered as he slowly pulled the shirt up. I pushed him again.

"I thought you liked Sakura." I reminded him.

He continued kissing the soft skin around my collarbone. One of his hands dropped to the front of my jeans where he quickly unbuttoned the top button of the jeans and zipped them down. The hand swiftly slid inside. I grabbed his wrist as a reflex but didn't pull his hand away. Slowly, my eyes closed zeroing in on the feeling of his tongue tracing my neck.

_This isn't what's supposed to happen... This is all wrong... He shouldn't be..._

I jolted, feeling his fingers make direct contact with the little guy in my boxers.

_If he keeps this up... I... I'll..._

He succeeded in lifting my shirt off along with my tie and vest. I could feel myself getting aroused no matter how hard I tried to block my mind from it. His kisses traveled further down my chest, pausing at my nipples momentarily. By the time his lips reached the top of my Levi's, I was hard. On his knees, he pulled it out through the opening in my boxers. I grabbed his head.

"Naruto..." I told him. "Why don't you go find Sakura or someone to try this on?"

He looked up at me, lips centimeters from my erection.

"Because I want _you_." He told me.

He slid his mouth over it. I jolted again, causing me to slam back against the wall. The sight alone made goose bumps prickle on my arms. My face felt hot. I knew I was blushing noticeably hard. I wasn't sure if my reaction was caused by his words or his actions. He sucked rhythmically, periodically flicking his tongue over the head. I bent my head, not being able to resist the warm feeling spreading through my body.

"Naruto, if you keep going like this... I... I don't think I'll be able to stop."

I doubted he was even listening. He kept going either way.

_Now, it's a problem... It really is... Because, I do want him to stop. More for his own sake than mine. But... I'm... I'm already..._

Suddenly, I felt weak in the knees.

"Ahhh... Naruto..." I whispered.

A racing feeling shot through my veins. I slowly slid down to the floor from standing against the wall, Naruto easily slid backwards, compensating for my movements, without even taking his mouth off. I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes again. My heart continued racing. One of my hands absentmindedly stroked Naruto's hair.

_Damn... I'm gonna..._

I pushed him away harder.

"Let go, idiot." I told him. "I'm almost..."

But he didn't, he began moving faster. I grabbed his shirt, bracing for the feeling...

_This feeling, this feeling, this feeling... How could this feel so good?_

A warm, relaxing feeling spread through my lower stomach. I breathed heavily, letting everything loose. Naruto kept the floor clean without a problem. When he raised his head, I couldn't bear to look at him.

_I can't believe I let this happen... How the hell did I let this happen?!_

Slowly, he lifted his hand and touched one of my cheeks. His hand slid into my hair and caressed the right side of my face. My face turned red again. His hand slowly drifted from my face down to my chest where all the bruises that were still struggling to heal were visible. I shuddered from his touch and kept my eyes on the floor.

"I just...really...wanted to make you feel good." He finally said.

_Make me...feel good? _

Slowly, I looked up into his eyes. Eyes that were still tinted red from the weed. He leaned in for me. I could tell he wanted to kiss me again. I wasn't moving. My body wasn't avoiding his kiss. I watched him near me...

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Sasuke! Are you in here?"

My hands flew down to my jeans. I pulled the zipper up and Naruto wiped his mouth right as the door opened. Sakura stared at us as a puff of stale smoke wafted out.

"What...are you guys...doing?" she asked slowly.

Naruto suddenly turned redder than I'd been before. And my blush still hadn't faded.

_Well, this looks incredibly suspicious..._

"Practicing for a project." I improvised.

Naruto looked at me and then snapped his fingers and nodded.

"Right, right." He agreed.

"A...project?" she asked.

We both nodded.

"Yeah, it's due Monday." I said. "It's about the dimensions."

_Well, this excuse can't get any stupider..._

"Right, we're exploring the dimensions. See, there's like eleven dimensions... And a smoky room is the fifth one. That's why."

_Correction. It just got _a lot _stupider._

We were lucky Sakura was wasted. She nodded slowly.

"Oh wow..." she said looking into the room with wide eyes. "I can kind of see the difference."

_No, bitch... That's the weed smoke messing up your perception..._

We slowly got to our feet. I slipped my shirt and vest back on. Sakura hadn't even noticed my bruises. And even if she did, she would've forgotten by morning. Naruto and I went back down the stairs and found Gaara and Kankuro who were practicing tricks on the deck out back. I borrowed their skateboard and practiced a couple ollies of my own.

_Skateboarding... It really gets your mind off things..._

*The Afternoon After*

We crashed at Kiba's sister's house on the couch surrounded by the rest of the soccer team, Shikamaru and Choji.

I awoke to a magazine falling on top of my face and sleepily pulled it off. Naruto was grinning down at me from the back of the couch.

"Rise and shine!" he yelled.

I slowly sat up and yawned.

_Thirsty..._

Somehow already predicting my state of mind, Naruto tossed me a water bottle.

"Where is everyone?" I asked slowly.

"They went home earlier. It's almost 4pm, you know." He said.

I yawned again. Slowly, the events from the previous night trickled into my brain.

_Sakura... Sakura... I was dancing with Sakura? What the hell was my state of mind last night?_

I gulped the water down. The entire room looked considerably cleaner than it should've been.

"Kiba, the guys and I spent the whole morning cleaning up the house and the yard so his sister wouldn't come home and shit bricks." He told me. "But I told everyone to just let you sleep."

I nodded slowly and stood up. I could see people walking around the front yard outside. Naruto walked past me, then turned around and smiled at me.

"Wake up, man." He said. "You're like dazed or something."

I shook my head.

"Just..."

I trailed off. The smile on Naruto's face sparked a memory. A memory of...

"_Stop squirming."_

Wait a second...

"_It's just a kiss, Sasuke."_

Don't tell me that...

"_I just...really...wanted to make you feel good."_

That wasn't just a dream?!

Naruto raised his eyebrows.

"Are you...okay?"

I jumped backward.

"I...uh...bathroom."

I walked around him and found my way to the bathroom.

"Shit." I cursed. "Shit, shit, shit."

_How the hell did I let that happen?_

I could hear Naruto walking around outside the bathroom door, pacing. I looked at my face in the mirror.

_But it wasn't my fault, was it? He was probably wasted..._

I looked slightly paler than usual but other than that, completely normal.

_But...I wasn't wasted, was I?_

With wide eyes, I noticed a red mark near my shirt collar. I pulled my shirt down revealing two large red marks on my neck... Two marks that weren't there before last night...

_And now there's proof..._

"This is unbelievable." I heard myself whisper.

_Was I in control or out of control?!_

I heard Naruto's footsteps slowly fading.

_Okay... Out of control or not, it happened... But Naruto doesn't seem to remember it. So, I should just let it go..._

But in a deep, darker part of my mind that I rarely visited, I wondered if it was even possible for me to forget that.

I returned to the den where Naruto stood waiting. He didn't ask any questions. Shikamaru and Choji, who both went home and then came back, entered the room with Kiba.

"You missed out on racing the other night because you were MIA all day." Kiba told Naruto.

Naruto shrugged.

"You still won, didn't you?" he asked.

Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Just barely." He said. "But anyway, Shikamaru says he can borrow the cars again for this afternoon. You in?"

"Fuck yeah!" Naruto exclaimed, then he nudged me. "I call Sasuke."

"Call me for what?" I asked.

"You'll see." He replied mysteriously.

"Okay, everyone meet at Shikamaru's place at five pm." He said.

"I can only have the cars until nine because my Dad gets home at ten." Shikamaru said. "Be on time."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..." Naruto mumbled waving him off.

Everyone scattered.

"Can you drop me off at home, bro?" Kiba asked Naruto.

He nodded.

"I call shotgun!" Kiba yelled, running out to the car.

I slid into the backseat without protesting. As Naruto drove away from Kiba's sister's house, Kiba nudged Naruto.

"Dude, I so scored last night."

I was looking out of the window. It was edging into winter, getting dark earlier than usual. The sun was setting over the water. We went over a bridge. Kiba's sister lived in the city on the Westside, so we had to go over the bridge to get back home. I gazed out onto the water. Naruto turned the radio up. (Play Do you... by Miguel)

"No, you didn't." Naruto said.

"Bro, I swear!" he said.

"With who? I thought Hinata went home early."

"What other girl was I talking to, genius?!"

Naruto was silent for a moment and then his mouth dropped open.

"Ino!?"

Kiba grinned widely and nodded.

"All the way, man."

"No fucking way!" Naruto exclaimed.

He shook his head rapidly.

"No way, no way, no way." He went on. "She doesn't even know you exist!"

"That's not what she said last night." He said smirking.

Naruto punched him in the arm.

"I can't believe it! You fucking lucky bastard!" he yelled.

_...Lucky? _

"How was she?" he inquired.

Kiba crossed his arms.

"I don't kiss and tell, bro."

"You just told! You have to tell the whole story, now." Naruto pointed out.

_That's true..._

Kiba grinned.

"It was one of the best moments of my life, man. I'll leave the rest to the imagination."

Naruto shook his head.

"You jackass."

Kiba turned around in his seat and winked at me.

"I saw you gettin' ass last night, bro." he said, fist bumping me. "Did you score?"

I blinked at him.

"Huh?"

"Sakura." He said, snapping his fingers. "Ino's best friend. I know you hit that, dude. I didn't see you for like almost the whole end of the party."

"Uhh... No, I... I didn't do anything with her." I said.

His eyebrows popped up.

"Whaaaat?!" he exclaimed. "But she was all over you!"

I shrugged.

"Too easy, huh?" he asked. "Yeah... It's not really fun to grab a slut. But still, if she was throwing herself at _me_ like that...you better believe I'd smash..."

He turned back around in his seat and put his hands behind his head.

"So if you weren't getting it with Sakura, where the hell were you?" Kiba spoke up.

I glanced at the rear-view mirror just by chance and was surprised to see a pair of crystal clear blue eyes gazing directly into mine. I ducked my head and looked out of the window.

"He was kicking it with the SouthSide crew." Naruto answered quickly.

"The skateboarding pot-heads?" Kiba asked. "I didn't know you guys hang with them. They're lame."

"Whatever, man." Naruto muttered.

I slowly looked back at Naruto. He quickly looked back to the main road, trying to hide that he'd still been watching me.

_Why did he make up an excuse for me?_

"Do you like drugs? Do you like loooove?" the song on the radio went on.

I watched the sunset shimmering off of the waves of water flowing under us. My brain blended into the music.

_Could it be that...he remembers what happened?_

I took one last look at the scenic view before we took an exit and drove off the bridge.

The car finally came to a stop in front of Kiba's house. Kiba got out of the car and bent his head back in.

"How long are you keeping this ride?" he asked.

"All weekend." Naruto replied.

"Awesome, I'll see you in a few at Shika's house."

Naruto turned around, drove a couple miles up the street and paused at his house.

"Want me to take you home so you can change?" he asked me.

_Home? _

Even though I would feel indescribably awkward around Naruto alone, home was a worst idea.

"No, it's fine." I said. "As long as I can borrow your clothes again."

He grinned.

"I feel like you live here now." He said, laughing.

We entered the house to find Konohamaru and Inari sitting at the table. When they saw us, they quickly pulled what was out on the kitchen table into Inari's backpack and stood up.

"What the hell was that?" Naruto asked them.

They tried to push past him but he stopped them.

"What the hell kind of shit are you guys getting into?" he asked.

"Nothing!" Konohamaru said. "It's just a precaution. We're not going to pop off on anyone."

Naruto was grabbing Konohamaru by the collar. He rolled his eyes and pushed him away.

"You better not be fucking up, bro." he said. "I mean it."

Konohamaru put the hood of his charcoal gray hoodie up and they both left the house.

"That was a gun, wasn't it?" I asked.

Naruto sighed and nodded. We walked to his room and he pulled his polo over his head.

"Idiot. I don't know what the hell he's doing..." he said as he tossed his snapback to the floor. "But it looks really suspect."

My eyes grazed over Naruto's six pack as he lifted his thermal off over his head. I suddenly realized I'd never seen him with his shirt off before even though I had plenty opportunities over the past few days.

"I swear, if that idiot breaks into a house or steals a car or something, I'm never going to forgive him." He muttered, running his hands through his blonde hair.

His arm muscles were pretty big, too. Even though he was a soccer player it was obvious he worked out a lot. I wondered when he got the time.

He unbuckled his belt and zipped his jeans down. I quickly grabbed his hand.

"I'm standing right here." I reminded him.

He pushed my hand away and continued pulling his white jeans down.

"So, what?" he asked with a smile. "We're both guys, right?"

I pointedly looked away from him as he stripped to his boxers.

"I just really don't know what I'm going to do with him..." he said finally. "What if he goes to juvie? I couldn't live with myself if I let that happen..."

Slowly, I turned my eyes back to him. He stood there in his dark green fitted boxers and looked at me. Somehow, he looked desperate.

"I wish I had an older brother that cared as much as you do." I said offhandedly.

I slid my hands into my pockets.

"My brother never answers my phone calls... And whenever he does call me, he just says the same thing. That he can't come get me." I muttered.

"_I'm sorry, Sasuke... Some other time."_

His expression turned sympathetic. He walked toward me and swept my hair out of my eyes. The hair on my skin prickled at his touch. I grabbed his hand to stop him. He was only inches away from me. My eyes pierced into his.

"The real reason why I work so hard in school is because I hope one day I can be as free as he is." I whispered. "I hope one day... I can run away from here and go to college wherever I want and never ever look back."

"You'd really want to leave here?" he asked me. "A lot of good things are here."

I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah? Like what?"

"Like _me_."

A second passed between us. I looked down. My body was reacting to my proximity to him. I let go of his hand and backed away from him.

"So what?" I said, collapsing back onto his bed. "It's not like I'm obligated to be with you forever."

I closed my eyes.

"We're barely friends, you know." I reminded him. "This is all just..."

_Just a week of spontaneity and brainless activities... Just circumstance... If he hadn't been failing Algebra, I wouldn't even be lying here right now..._

"Just a onetime thing?" he improvised.

_Is it? Will I never seek Naruto's comfort again after this weekend?_

I found myself nodding.

"Right." I said.

I heard Naruto's footsteps sound as he walked from his room to the bathroom. The water started running. I curled up on his bed, allowing his scent to wash over me.

_Smells like...morning dew and flowers..._

He always had an Earthy scent. It was always something I recognized. Even back when I hated him from afar. And even then... Did I truly hate him? I thought the reason I decided to skip school with him in blatant disregard for my academics was because I wanted to get back at someone. I thought the reason why I always double checked all my class rosters ever since the seventh grade for his name, right under mine, was because I wanted to be sure I'd get no pointless classroom disruptions. I thought the reason I told Iruka Sensei I wouldn't mind being a tutor that semester, knowing Naruto was failing, was because I wanted scholarships and saw a golden opportunity.

_But... I'm lying to myself, aren't I?_

Over the years, I'd developed an attentive nature toward him and I covered it with a negative label but all that time... It was really admiration. I always secretly wondered what it would be like to be friends with one of the most popular guys in our grade level. And I'd gotten my wish... All along, I had secretly wanted this.

_Now that I have this... This friendship... Do I really want to throw it all away?_

The water turned off. I felt the steam entering the room as he made his way back over to me.

"It's all yours." He said.

I sat up and watched as he pulled a fresh pair of light gray boxers onto his bare body. I felt my skin warming up and forced myself to look away. Without even noticing, he pulled a pair of turquoise skinny jeans which he wore sagged, a white t-shirt with black letters that said "Do you even lift, bro?" and a turquoise and orange snapback with black and white Vans.

I showered quickly managing to keep my head, for the most part, clear of distracting thoughts while I did. When I came back out, Naruto was eating Ramen in the kitchen. I went through his closet, searching far and wide for anything that flattered my own style. The best I could do was a pair of light brown skinny jeans, a black t-shirt that read: "Obey" with big red letters, and a thin light blue jean-jacket, unbuttoned, with the sleeves rolled up. I popped the collar on to hide the marks on my neck.

"Sasuke, hurry up!" Naruto called.

I slipped on a pair of Naruto's bright red and black Nikes and headed out.

_Yeah, I should throw it away... _

He looked me over when I came out of the room.

"You look fresh." He said, winking at me.

_I don't deserve him, anyway..._

*Drag Racing*

We got to the house a full twenty minutes after 5pm.

"Didn't I tell you guys to be on time?" Shikamaru asked.

"It takes Sasuke longer than a girl to get ready." Naruto replied.

We were on a side of town I rarely visited. It was more near the EastSide than North. Four cars were lined up evenly at an imaginary starting line.

"Wait...are we..."

Naruto grinned at me.

"Racing!"

"But... With regular cars?" I asked. "Isn't that..."

"Illegal?" Shikamaru asked.

"Dangerous?" Choji provided.

"Incredibly freaking awesome!?" Kiba exclaimed.

"It's all of the above." Naruto said.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the car on the far left.

"This piece of shit is ours." He joked. "Shikamaru's dad is this genius mechanic. He can fix, like, any car. So he has a lot of them lying around for people to buy used."

"But what does that have to do with Drag Racing?" I asked him.

"Well, his Dad told us we could drive them around. Because it's not good to let cars sit still for too long... So we're actually doing him a favor." He told me.

_Yeah, by messing up all his hard dedicated work..._

"Sasuke!"

I turned to see Sakura running toward me. She flew into my arms and startled, I took a few steps back.

"Hey..." I said.

"You're racing now?!" she exclaimed. "Yeah! This is going to be so fun! I know you'll win!"

"Sakura, weren't you the one always saying we should stop this?" Naruto asked.

Sakura jabbed him sharply and then smiled at me.

"Good luck, Sasuke."

She stood in front of the cars in her tight, light pink shorts and white sleeveless shirt. Hinata ran to what I assumed was the finish line and stood there. We all got into our cars. Naruto was driving our car, Kiba was driving another car with Shino sitting in, Neji was driving another with Lee sitting in and Choji was driving another with Shikamaru. Naruto revved the engine. I reached for my seatbelt and realized with a shock, there wasn't one.

"Where are the seat belts?"

Naruto shrugged.

"That's the last thing Shikamaru's dad puts in. We usually don't have any."

_No wonder he never put his seat belt on, learning to drive like this..._

Naruto glanced at my facial expression and then snickered.

"Scared?"

_Yes._

"On your marks!" Sakura yelled.

"You wish." I replied.

"Get set!"

"Trust me." was all he said.

"Go!"

The car sped out from the starting line. Naruto basically floored it but in the dusty, sandy wasteland off route 132 there was nothing in his path anyway. It was clear he was a daredevil. The other drivers were way too scared to actually just set off like that. He turned the car, burning rubber against the asphalt. A stench of gasoline floated into the air. My heart was pounding but I quickly realized that I liked the feeling.

"Keep going!" I shouted.

I looked out the window, glad to see that we surpassed everyone though Kiba was struggling to keep up.

"Faster!"

Naruto spun the wheel. We edged toward the finish line. Hinata had her hands up, waiting for us. He was perched up on the wheel. We were flying forward. Then...

"Shit." He whispered.

"What?" I said.

"Don't...like...freak out...but I think the breaks are busted."

We flew past Hinata. He swerved wildly to avoid flying into one of the columns under the bridge. The dust from the ground was flying up everywhere. To this day, I can't tell why... But I laughed. Naruto glanced at me, eyes wide with panic.

"You just went crazy, didn't you?" he asked.

"No." I said, trying to calm my laughter down. "But the last thing I ever thought was that I'd die in a car accident... How insipid."

Naruto swerved again, trying to keep the car level.

"We'll have to wait for it to slow down." He said.

I looked out at the others. They'd gotten out of their cars and were raising their arms at us in confusion. Dust was flying up in front of us as we drove around in circles. The windshield was blocked. I leaned out of the window trying to see where we were heading next and my eyes widened.

"Tire!" I shouted. "Big tire right in front of us."

Naruto swerved again but it wasn't enough. The left front wheel hit the tire propelling us into the air. The car tumbled. I felt like I was airborn momentarily and then everything exploded.


	5. Chapter 5

Naruto

*Center-something force*

I blinked once and then twice. I shook my head. I could smell a strong stench of burnt rubber and gasoline. People were screaming. But oddly, I sensed no danger. Sasuke was shaking his head next to me, his hands trembled as he wiped broken glass off of his lap. Slowly, he looked up at me.

We stared at each other and then I fist pumped.

"Oh my god, we're alive?!" I shouted, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him.

He blinked slowly as I shook him. The entire car looked like a raisin. It had been crushed beyond recognition but somehow, we were sitting in middle of it, still alive.

"Naruto!" someone shouted.

People were pounding against the car.

"Fuck, fuck! Are they dead?!"

"No! We're fine!" I said. "Help us out!"

After about thirteen minutes of us pushing from inside and them pulling on the door. We forced it open. As soon as our feet hit the dirt, they all surrounded us. Sakura pushed through everyone and flew into Sasuke's arms.

"Oh, Sasuke!" she shouted, half-tearful.

Hinata ran over to me.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" she asked before grabbing my hand.

Sasuke and I exchanged glances.

_Ugh, Girls..._

"We thought you guys were fucking goners!" Kiba shouted.

It was night. Everyone was standing in the cloudless, chilly dark of early fall. I put my hands behind my head and smiled.

"How are you guys even alive?" Choji asked.

"No freaking idea, man." I said. "Look at the car!"

It had to have rolled at least fifty times and then smashed against a tree. But somehow, someway, we weren't thrown out of the car...

"Dude, we weren't even wearing seat belts!" I declared. "It was like BOOM! And then everything just started rolling and I think I got knocked out because I just remember waking up and then everything was normal!"

"It's centrifugal force." Sasuke said, side stepping his way out of Sakura's grip. "The same thing that keeps food pressed against the sides of a rotating container. The rapid rotation of any solid object forces its contents to-"

"Sasuke, quit it with all that Chemistry class shit. The point is that we're alive." I remarked.

Everyone was quiet, looking between us both, and then Sasuke shook his head.

"It's physics." He said. "If you're going to insult me, do it correctly."

Kiba started laughing, and then the girls joined in, and then Rock Lee and Choji. I burst into laughter next and then Sasuke sighed, resigning to a few chuckles himself.

_This guy can't change, can he?_

Everyone's eyes were wide shinning with the light of the orange lamppost above us as we laughed, more out of relief and the love of life than anything actually being funny. Suddenly, the car rattled and a fire sprouted. The girls screamed and I jumped almost a mile into the air.

"Aw, shit!" Shikamaru exclaimed. "My Dad's gonna kill me!"

"Just say you hit a deer, man. No biggie." Choji told him.

"That looks _nothing_ like a deer." Shikamaru protested.

"Lucky we got out of that car fast enough." I muttered to Sasuke.

Suddenly, we heard the annoying, whir of sirens in the distance.

"Fuck!" Kiba shouted. "It's the police! They must've seen all the dirt getting kicked up!"

"Damn it! Remember last time? I can't get caught again!" Choji shouted. "They're gonna send me to juvie!"

"Ruuuuuuuun!" Rock Lee shouted.

But my feet were already tapping against the dirt. I could hear footsteps next to me and was glad to see that Sasuke had run off with me. Just like Choji, I couldn't get caught in that kind of situation. I'd already been caught by the police doing reckless shit way too many times. Not because I was fat and slow like he was but because I was always taking the bait for my other friends, or Konohamaru, so that _they_ wouldn't get in trouble.

My cap flew off my head. My feet skidded in the dirt as I turned to go get it but behind me, Neji had stopped to pick it up.

"I'll get it!" he yelled. "Keep going!"

Sasuke grabbed my arm and tugged on me so hard I stumbled four or five feet toward him.

"Let's go." He said.

We continued running toward our car. I slid over the hood of the car, like they did in the movies, I remember Rock Lee and I practicing it one random afternoon so we could get it perfect just for an epic situation like this. Across from me, Rock Lee slid over the hood of his own car. We flashed each other thumbs up as I jumped into the driver's seat. I rolled out of the parking lot as quick as I could along with the other cars ripping right after me. We drove onto the overpass and I just so happened to glance back. I stomped on the breaks. Sasuke gripped the seat.

"What the hell?"

"Neji!" I said.

We both looked out of the window. I got out of the car and ran to the fence lining the overpass. Neji, with my hat gripped in his hand, was being surrounded by two police officers. Slowly, he raised his arms. I looked over to see Rock Lee turning his car around and going back for him. Rock Lee was the one who drove him anyway. How the hell did he think he was getting home?

Suddenly, the car we totaled exploded. Glass flew everywhere. The policemen hit the dirt, covering their heads and ears. Rock Lee's car spun into the lot and Neji, seeing it coming from a long ways away, ran toward it. Taking my cue, I got back in the car and stomped on the gas. Kiba with Sakura, Ino and Hinata in his car drove up next to me and Rock Lee with Choji, Shikamaru and Neji drove up on his other side. We could hear the police sirens in the distance, following us.

(Play Flashing Lights by Kanye West)

Sasuke turned around in his seat and watched the pursuing red and blue flashing lights.

"We're going to jail." I heard him mutter.

I increased my pressure on the gas. My phone vibrated in my lap.

"They're going to catch us and we're _all_ going to jail." Sasuke went on.

"KECB" said the text message.

I quickly turned onto the exit leading to the EastSide. The guys followed suit.

"And we'll never see the light of day again." He said.

"How the hell can you sound so pathetic and your voice is still monotone?" I snapped irritably.

"I don't even know why the hell I decided hanging out with you was a good idea."

"You're really pissing me off, Sasuke."

"If anything,_ I_ should be pissed. You almost killed me and _now_ we're going to jail."

"We're not going to fucking jail, Sasuke!" I retorted.

"Are you an idiot?! Escaping the police is illegal!" he said. "And with this dumbass bright orange car, there's no _way_ they won't remember us!"

"Then why don't _you_ get the fuck out of the car and surrender, then?!" I yelled. "We're in the same boat either way."

"'Tch." He mumbled. "This is the worst decision of my life."

"Then why don't you just go home, then!?" I exclaimed. "Nobody asked you to follow me around for three days, you asshole!"

"You're the one who invited me!"

"You didn't have to say yes!" I shouted.

My mind flashed back to what he'd said in my room.

"_It's not like I'm obligated to be with you..."_

"_We're barely friends, you know."_

I gripped the steering wheel harder.

"I'm not your fucking toy, you bastard." I muttered.

"What are you talking about?"

I kept my eyes on the road.

"All this time... I thought you were... Actually going to be..."

_...my friend. Or maybe... Maybe something more..._

I turned to him fiercely.

"But you were just using me... The same way with helping me with Algebra. Just more collateral for you stupid scholarships, right!?" I asked.

He was silent.

"I don't want be your stupid experiment..."

We drove over a few rolling mountains, slightly elevated.

"If anyone's using someone as an experiment, it's you..." he muttered.

I looked at him. His dark eyes looked at me steadily and then he tore his eyes away and gazed out of the window.

"You're not fooling anyone." He said quietly.

I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles were turning white.

_...What?_

I wanted to say something else, find a way to clear my name but nothing was coming to mind and that split second of an opening I had was long gone. My silence had basically certified his comment. He knew that I knew. Or...more like, he knew that I remembered.

_I was hoping he'd stick to believing that I was high..._

But his comment seemed to prove that he didn't think I was under the influence anymore.

_Shit, that means he knows that I... That I did that... Completely on my own._

But what did he expect? What did _I _expect? I knew, deep inside, sooner or later I would try something like that. Ever since I was adopted by Tsunade and Jiraiya and moved to North Konoha City, I'd noticed him. I tried to pretend like I was annoyed by his "smartass" atmosphere to gain friends and traction in the cool kids clique but...

_But that's not the truth..._

I was always watching him because I was jealous. A guy who made straight A's and walked with a purpose was much more important than a guy like me... A guy who made C's even when he was trying. I wanted to _be_ him. But even beyond that jealousy, in a place I rarely visited, there was admiration. I didn't just want to be him, I wanted to be _with _him. I wanted him to recognize me in a way he recognized no one else... It was obvious... That was why I'd asked him to skip with me and showed him around to all my friends. All along, I had secretly wanted this. And my wish came true...in that single moment Iruka called on him to be my tutor.

_So... I'm not fooling anyone... Not even myself anymore._

The rest of the ride was silent. His eyes were glued to the window. Mine were glued to the road, though I wasn't paying much attention. I was surprised once I pulled into the parking lot. I barely remembered driving the entire thirty minutes from the freeway.

We sat in the car for a while, waiting for the others to pull in, too. Somewhere between all that arguing, we'd lost the police cars. We were safe, again, by some stroke of luck. I hoped they hadn't gotten anyone's license plates. It wasn't even my freaking car. But more than all of that, I was worried about what Sasuke said.

_Is that why he said that? Is it because I did that? Did I really ruin our whole friendship... Everything we were building up... Just for that?_

"Naruto."

Startled, I looked over at him. He was looking down at his lap.

"Let's just...forget this argument." he said, slowly looking up at me.

_Forget it? _

I nodded slowly.

_Is there something he's trying to hide?_

"Okay." I said.

The other cars pulled into the lot shortly thereafter. We all walked to the knee high brick wall surrounding the park and sat on it. Everyone was talking at the same time. The nighttime air was loud and excited. There weren't many lampposts out. My eyes traveled down the beach to the waves below.

_KECB... Konoha East Coast Beach... This is one of Shikamaru's favorite places... Because it's peaceful, somehow, it became our hideout._

"I can't believe we escaped the cops!" Ino yelled.

"It was amazing!" Sakura agreed.

"It was scary." Hinata said.

"I thought we were going to jail! I really did!" Kiba exclaimed.

"It was stupid." Sasuke muttered.

Everyone looked at him.

"But...pretty fun." He added.

I looked over at Neji who was largely silent. My cap was clutched in his right hand. I reached around Sasuke and tapped his shoulder.

"Thanks, man." I said.

He smiled.

"It was nothing." He said, finally giving me the turquoise and orange cap which I promptly pulled over my head, turning it backwards.

"How did it feel to actually get grabbed by them, Neji?" Ino asked.

"Like I was going to jail." He replied.

Everyone laughed.

"I'm really glad you're safe, Neji." Hinata whispered. "Dad would never forgive me..."

Neji was Hinata's cousin but ever since his father died, he'd been living with her, her parents and her little sister in one of the cheap townhouses near my house. I'd been in their home a couple times. Hinata's father was a Karate teacher, not making nearly enough money for them all, and her mother was sick with some disease I'd never inquired about. She just lay in bed all day. Hannabi, Hinata's younger sister, was the same age as Konohamaru. I often heard him saying stuff about trying to score with her which led me to believe she roamed in his circles, which was a bad thing. Neji hoped that he could win a soccer scholarship so he could go to college, get a degree, and help provide for his family.

We wandered further down the beach and sat down in a circle. Rock Lee found some sticks and Neji usually carried a lighter around so we made a small fire easily.

"Anyone want to tell scary stories?" Rock Lee asked.

"What are we? Twelve year olds?" Neji mumbled.

Neji's best friend, by some odd force in nature, was Rock Lee, the muscle head. He spent all day, every day working out in the gym and getting ripped so he could be the best goalie who ever lived. He said he wanted to play in the World Cup one day. I heard from Kiba who heard from Neji that he lost both his parents in a car accident and was adopted by Guy Sensei. His story was really remarkable. He started as an insecure kid who was forced to be goalie on the local soccer team in his first game and didn't save a single shot. That day, he vowed he'd be the best goalie ever and really stuck to his word. He was amazing.

"I'll tell one." Choji said. "Once upon a time..."

"You don't start a scary story with 'once upon a time'" Kiba told him. "You just jump into it!"

"Uh... Okay... Once... Uh, I mean... One day..."

Choji was the kid who was picked on as long as I'd known him because he was fat, insecure and way more sensitive than any boy I'd ever met. Shikamaru told me he'd met him when they were five year olds and Choji was crying because a stray dog got hit by a car in the street. Shikamaru told him the dog would go to heaven and they'd been best friends ever since. Choji wanted to go to culinary school which made sense since he ate so much. He'd make a pretty great chef. He said he wanted to open up a restaurant some day.

"Just let him tell the story how he wants." Shikamaru said, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back.

Shikamaru was an interesting guy. He was one of those aggravating kids who never, ever studied and yet passed every single test. He made straight B's but I was sure if he actually studied and tried, he'd be on Sasuke's level of genius or maybe even higher. Choji told me he had to take an IQ test one day and he actually scored in the genius range and they tried to skip him two grades and put him in the accelerated program (AP) at school but he denied it saying "That'd be bothersome". His mother was a hairdresser and his father was a mechanic. They were regular blue collar workers, living in a shitty one-story house just like mine. As far as I knew, he didn't want to go to college. He only ever talked about going to work in his Dad's car shop after we graduated next year.

"That was the lamest story I'd ever heard!" Ino groaned.

Ino was a close family friend of Shikamaru and Choji's. Before I moved there, they were the most solid elementary school trio in town but once Ino got to middle school, she started branching out and embracing her feminine side, playing with make-up and nail polish instead of Hot Wheels and footballs. She was an only child who lived with her mother, a landscape architect that concentrated mostly on gardening and flowery, and her father who was a psychologist. Psychologists didn't really make much money and landscape architects were outdated so just like us, she was on the poor side. She and Sakura constantly competed for the title of head-cheerleader but they were still pretty much best friends. She wanted to become a psychologist, too...even though, it was clear what kind of life that held for her.

"Then why don't you come up with one, Ino?" Sakura joked.

"Maybe I will." She said. "One about girls with big foreheads who get lost on beaches at night."

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Can it, Queen Bitch." She retorted.

Sakura was always made fun of for her forehead but in middle school, Ino taught her how to have a big mouth, spunky attitude and confidence so people would leave her alone. Her parents worked almost poverty level jobs. Her father was a janitor at one of the local high schools and her mother worked retail, folding clothes at JC Penny all day. Sakura always claimed she hated her parent's lives and wanted to be nothing like them... So she rebelled by hanging with us "losers", stayed out late all night partying and barely spoke to them. She always said she wanted to be a surgeon one day. She was really book smart, holding the salutatorian position with a 4.32 GPA right behind Sasuke's 4.38 GPA, so I had no doubt she could do it.

"Don't worry, Ino. I'm sure your story will be fine." Hinata told her.

Hinata didn't begin as one of our friends. Initially, she was just stuck to Neji like glue, so when you asked for him, you got a packaged deal. She wasn't a cheerleader. She didn't play any sports. She didn't really do much of anything. She was really quiet and made decent AB honor roll in school. She completely bored me, honestly. There wasn't anything interesting about her at all... Until that one night, after we did it at my place, she told me about how ever since her Mother got sick, her father wouldn't even look at her, Neji stayed at practice all day and Hannabi started getting into trouble at school. She said she stuck to Neji because she was worried he'd do something stupid to ruin his chances of the scholarship... Like drag racing and getting caught. She was just a really selfless person. She worried so much about everyone in her life and wanted the best for them all. Ever since then, I'd had a pretty deep level of respect for her and I really liked her. She wanted to become a social worker, dealing with messed up orphans and foster kids like me. I was certain that if I actually ended up marrying a woman one day, she'd be my first pick. Even though Ino was inexplicably hot and Sakura had confidence for days, Hinata was definitely the kind of girl you get serious with.

"Yo, yo, yo, guys!" Kiba suddenly interrupted. "I almost forgot, I brought booze!"

He hopped up and ran to his car.

"There's enough for everyone!" he called as he ran away.

Kiba was the least like all of us. His parents had white collar jobs. His mother was a vet while his father worked at an office desk job, steadily moving up to higher corporate positions every year. With such good role models as parents, his sister could easily get the opportunities to go to college, graduate and become a Nurse like she was, making more than enough money to have that expensive apartment that we partied in. Kiba claimed he didn't try in school because it's not cut out for him and he doesn't want to waste time failing anyway. I believed he was just scared to compete with his older sister, who was third in her high school class. He was one of those guys who had everything he needed and still wanted more. He was also kind of spoiled. He barely cared about anything or anyone except himself...and his dog, Akamaru, of which he was basically obsessed with. He was the kind of guy that's a douche but he was he was _our _douche. And on top of that, he was a pretty boss soccer player. And he never knocked any of us for being adopted or poor so we didn't mind him too much. The only time he'd ever talked about his future, he said he might become a drummer.

Kiba passed me a bottle of tequila. He had four bottles and there were eight of us total.

_I guess I'm sharing with Sasuke..._

I took a swig and passed it to him as the tequila burned my throat.

_Kiba's sister definitely bought this shit... _

Sasuke's fingers slid around my hand. He leaned close to me and put his mouth on the opening right where mine just had been and took a drink. I shifted. I wasn't sure if it was the campfire or the closeness of his body to mine that was making me...

He quickly took another swig.

_Sasuke's drinking like his life depends on it. I'm starting to realize that... He seems to have an addictive personality... Something's telling me I shouldn't let him smoke or drink anymore... It could really mess him up._

His collar pulled down as he straightened up and I noticed a couple red marks on his neck. He glanced at me suspiciously. I looked away quickly and faced the fire.

_But why should I care? We're...forgetting about that, right? _

"Okay, sooo... What are we going to talk about?" Kiba asked.

Ino gently pulled the bottle from Kiba's hand and sipped it.

"Maybe... What we're doing tomorrow?" Ino asked.

"It's a Sunday. I have church." Choji pointed out.

"Yeah, me too. Even though it's a drag." Shikamaru mumbled.

Kiba pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it.

"Someone needs to think of something, man. I'm dying here." He mumbled.

Ino turned the bottle over and spilled it on his crotch. He jumped up, startled.

"Calm your shit, dickhead." She remarked.

He rolled his eyes and playfully shoved her.

"You want some of this?" he asked. "Huh?"

She squealed with laughter as he leaned onto her.

"Guys... We're like... still here." I said.

It was silent for a while... A pretty awkward silence. And then Sakura spoke up.

"Do you guys ever wonder about fate and free-will?" she asked. "Like... If destiny really exists?"

There was nothing except the crackle of the fire next to us. My eyes rose to the stars.

"I used to believe in destiny." Neji said, quietly. "But now I realize, there's no way that my father getting shot to death by that armed robber was supposed to happen... That... Can't be a part of some plan."

"Or my parents dying in the car accident..." Rock Lee whispered.

_Or...mine dying in that stupid war..._

I took another drink. Shikamaru sighed.

"Just because some seriously messed up stuff has happened... Doesn't mean there's no such thing as destiny." He said.

"So, you think us being here right now is all a part of some crazy master plan?" Ino asked.

"Not specifically. I mean, does it have to be black and white?" he asked. "Can't it be possible that some things we control and some things we don't?"

_I...never thought of that..._

"You mean like... Maybe the little things we can change... Like what to wear to school? Or what to say?" Choji asked.

"Yes, but the big things are actually supposed to happen." Shikamaru said.

"Yeah, big things like...people." Hinata agreed. "Maybe we can't change who we meet but we can change how or when we meet them."

"Do you guys... think that includes soulmates?" Sakura asked.

We were all silent, and then like the snap of the fingers, we all nodded in unison.

"I think soul mates exist." I spoke up. "I think... If we meet whoever we're supposed to meet no matter what then the person we fall in love with... Is always the same."

"Love, huh?" Neji said. "Do you even believe in love?"

"Yes... I do." I found myself saying.

_But how the hell do I even know that... I... I've never been in love... But right now, I'm speaking like..._

Sakura smiled at me and then her eyes traveled to Sasuke.

"I believe, too." She said.

"Me, too." Rock Lee said, gazing at her.

"Me, three!" Ino exclaimed.

"I think it's believable." Kiba said, poking Ino.

"What about you, Sasuke?" Hinata asked.

Everyone turned to him.

"Yeah, you've been quiet this whole time while we've all been pouring our guts out." Kiba pointed out.

I looked at Sasuke. His head was down. He said nothing.

"Earth to Sasuke!" Ino shouted. "Soulmates, love, destiny... Are you asleep?"

Slowly, he picked his head up. I expected him to look drunk or completely wasted but he looked absolutely normal.

"Shikamaru's right, not everything's black and white... So if destiny isn't so obvious, why should soulmates and love be?" he asked. "Maybe for some people...there are soulmates and love...and for others there's just..."

"An empty life?" Sakura asked.

He didn't reply. The fire was slowly burning out. I looked back up at the stars which shined brighter than I'd ever seen them since the lights were so scarce around the beach. I could feel the chill of the ocean breeze against my skin and the whoosh of the waves. When I closed my eyes, I felt like I was a million light years away.

"Not an empty life." He finally said.

We all turned to him, surprised to see him speaking again.

"The freedom to choose your own damn destiny." He said looking at each of them straight in their eyes. "Who you love is your decision alone. That's what I believe."

Somehow, with just three sentences, he'd returned everyone's jovial mood.

"That's the best thing I've heard all night." Shikamaru said.

My eyes were the last that his met. I felt his fingers slid onto my hand and settle there. The fire burned out. Suddenly, it was almost pitch black except for the couple of lamp posts in the parking lot. Kiba cursed, looking around for where he'd dropped his lighter.

"Forget it!" I heard Rock Lee say in the pitch blackness. "Let's go swimming."

"Oh yeahhh!" Ino chipped in.

It sounded like everyone was mutually agreeing with the idea.

"But...won't it be cold?" said a soft voice.

"Stop being so scared Hinata!" a boy who sounded like Choji said. "It'll be fun!"

I heard everyone standing up.

"But we don't have any swimsuits." Neji pointed out.

"Haven't you heard of skinny dipping?" Sakura asked him.

"What?!" Hinata's voice rang out.

I could already hear the sound of fabric hitting the ground. Jackets, shirts, the metallic ring of belt buckles coming loose. I could see a couple dark outlines heading toward the beach. Ino and Sakura were pulling Hinata's shirt off.

"Come oooooon." Ino said. "It's dark, no one will see anything."

"Just...wait..." She told them.

"Ugh, this is so unnecessary..." Shikamaru mumbled.

But I could clearly see his outline stripping down.

"Are you coming, Naruto? Sasuke?"

Sasuke's hand was still on mine.

"Yeah!" I shouted. "We are!"

I could hear the whoosh of the waves and the water splashing. In the dim light of the burning fire, I stared at our hands together.

"Sasuke..." I began. "When it comes to soulmates... Do you think you have free-will or fate?"

"How would I know?" he asked.

"But what do you_ think_?"

He sighed.

"I think..." he said quietly. "I have a decision."

I smiled.

"That's funny..." I whispered. "I was thinking I have a soulmate."

I stood up and pulled my cap off, then my shirt and my shoes. Sasuke stayed where he was, just watching me get naked.

"Aren't you coming?"

He sighed.

"You won't let me say no, will you?"

I grabbed the jean jacket he wore over his black shirt and pulled it off him.

"No way." I said, grinning.

As he pulled his shirt off, I reached for his belt and then paused.

_Wait, what am I doing? _

He looked down, watching as I retracted my hand.

"You can help if...that's what you want." He said slowly.

His eyes shinned in the moonlight.

_Why is he being so reasonable? Oh, right... He just had like two or three shots..._

I grabbed his belt and loosened it and the same time he grabbed mine. I tugged them down and then both of our jeans were around our ankles. After that, I felt his fingers grasping the elastic band on my boxers, cool against the skin above it. I grabbed for his boxers and pulled them down and he did mine simultaneously. I shivered slightly from the cool ocean breeze. I gazed into Sasuke's eyes.

_I really want to just..._

I slid my arms around him and hugged him despite the other side of my head screaming for me not to.

"I'm sorry I did that...last night." I said to him. "I... I just..."

I could feel every hair on the front of his body. We were pressed tightly together. He was tense at first but then I could feel him relax on me.

"Wanted to make me feel good?" he asked.

I smiled.

"Yeah... I said something like that, didn't I?"

It was the truth. I really did want to make him feel good. When I said that, I was thinking about his bruises... That mystery I still didn't know about... I wanted to show him how deeply I cared for him. But that was before he...

"I know it's really pointless to say this now but..." I hugged him tighter to me. "I thought I could let you go but... I don't think I can. But you hated all of this. And...you hate me, so... What the fuck does it matter..."

_Yeah, so... We should just let go and forget... Leave it alone._

"Naruto..." Sasuke whispered. "I wasn't being entirely truthful earlier..."

I felt my heart stop momentarily.

_What?_

"These past couple of days have been...the best days of my life." He admitted.

_...Really?_

"I'm glad I decided to be with you. The truth is...I don't want to let you go either." He went on. "Even though it's only been a few days, I... I don't know what my life would be like without you."

My body was reacting to my words. The hair on my skin stood up, I felt hot despite the cool breeze and, to my complete embarrassment, I got hard against him. I felt his hand stroking my hair, another action from him that aroused me.

"Then... Let's stay together, Sasuke." I finally said.

I pulled back and gazed at him. He seemed to get closer to me. I titled my head, waiting for the cool feeling of his lips...

"Did you guys fall asleep over there or what?!" Sakura's voice sounded.

We jumped apart.

_That girl has such terrible timing..._

"Yeah, guys! Come on!" Rock Lee added.

I grabbed Sasuke's hand and rushed forward. Skinny dipping was a lot of fun. We splashed each other, played stupid games and told jokes. Normally, I would've swam around the girls, looking to cop a view of Hinata's bare chest or Ino's ass but there was only one person my eyes were on that entire time and...it was a guy.

_Destiny must not exist... How could anyone have planned this?_

*Feeling Good*

We pushed the door open to Sasuke's house laughing loudly, still on a buzz from a couple more shots. I have no idea how I got us home safe. We were really pushing the limits but our favorite phrase was "YOLO" so what the hell did it all matter?

We stayed at the beach longer than everyone else just lying in the sand, looking up at the stars and talking about stupid random stuff... Like favorite childhood games... His was Hide and Seek, mine was Simon Says. Or favorite movies of all time... His was the Prestige and an older mind-fuck of a movie called Memento. Mine was a tie between KickAss and Scott Pilgrim vs the World. Or our favorite TV shows... He didn't watch TV but I had a secret soft spot for a violent Japanese anime about giants that ate people in a post apocalyptic world. At around midnight, we decided to call it a night and come home. I told him Tsunade would be there and probably bitching so my house would be annoying and to my surprise, he invited me to his house.

We staggered in wearing nothing but t-shirts and boxers and he led me to his bedroom. The ocean water was really cold and clean, I didn't even have one grain of sand on me and neither did he. I collapsed back onto his bed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Your house is quiet." I said.

"My Uncle's on a business trip." He said. "And the other asshole that lives with us, my distant cousin, went with him."

"It's been like...you don't want to come home or something." I said. "But now I'm here and it seems fine. I expected at least ten illegitimate children running around and dishes in the sink up to the ceiling with hordes of rats and roaches..."

He scoffed.

"We Uchiha are very tidy people." He said mock-pretentiously. "Clean, work and die."

"That sounds like shit." I joked.

"So this cousin, is he around your age?" I asked as I tossed a soft basketball I got off of his floor from one hand to the other.

"No, he's even older than my brother." Sasuke muttered. "But he acts like he could be younger than me."

"That much of a jerk, huh?" I asked.

He nodded and said nothing. Slowly, he turned around from where he was hanging our jeans up. As I sat up, he walked over to me.

_This is it, isn't it? _

He lowered his hands onto my knees.

_The part where he..._

And leaned close to my face.

_I want it..._

And licked his lips.

_More than anything._

Then, he pulled my cap off my head.

"Do you want me to add this to the wash, too?" he asked.

Blinking, I shrugged. He tossed the snapback onto the rest of the clothes and then turned around. I grabbed his arm.

"Sasuke..."

He glanced at me and then looked away.

"I know." He said. "Be patient."

He took our jeans, which were sandy and stained to the washing machine. I stood up off of his bed and made my way around his bedroom. It was surprisingly light colored. His walls were a light blue color. His carpet was tanish white and his bed sheets were light blue with white circle patterns littered all over it. There was also a dark green and red quilt folded up neatly on the edge of his bed. With the blue and white theme he had going, it looked slightly old and out of place. Other than that, everything was neat and tidy. I spent some time looking around for stuffed animals, embarrassing poetry, or anything I could use to make fun of him but there was absolutely nothing incriminating around. It was as if he planned for people to be going through his stuff. I opened his closet and was shocked to find nothing but collared shirts, slacks or khakis, cardigans and Converse sneakers.

_Not even one t-shirt? Where the hell does this guy shop? _

I noticed a bit of brown on the top shelf of his closet. Just out of curiosity, I reached for it, realizing it was an old shoebox. I pulled the top of the shoebox open. Dust flew up into my eyes and nose. It was clear he hadn't opened it in, like, centuries. Inside, there was a small picture album. I picked the album up and slowly flipped through the pictures.

The first one was of a newborn baby being held by a tired looking woman. The next was a proud looking man holding the same baby. And the next was a six or seven year old boy holding the same baby and smiling widely.

_This baby is probably..._

More pictures followed that labeling things like "Sasuke's first steps" or "Sasuke's first word: No" or "Sasuke's potty trained".

There were unlabeled pictures all between the labeled ones of a toddler version of Sasuke playing with an older boy who I suspected was his older brother. He had dark, shoulder length hair and dark eyes with tear troughs on each cheek. They seemed to adore each other.

_But Sasuke described his brother as an uncaring jackass..._

One of the last pictures was "Sasuke learns to ride a bike". The older boy was the one pushing a four year old looking Sasuke down a driveway on a bicycle with no training wheels. Both of them grinned widely at the camera.

The final photo in the album was "Sasuke and Itachi graduate". Sasuke looked to be six years old, wearing a bright blue graduation gown and a cap and tassel that were way too large for him on his head. The same older boy from all the other pictures bent down on his knees next to him in khaki colored slacks, a white collared shirt and a black tie. The older one which I presumed was named Itachi held a paper diploma in his hand. Sasuke gripped a plaque in front of his chest with both hands. It seemed like Sasuke had graduated from kindergarten the same day Itachi graduated from middle school. Their parents stood behind them, looking proud. Everyone grinned at the camera. It was living room wall worthy. The perfect family photo. Why was it hidden away in a dusty box?

"I see you're snooping."

I whirled around. Sasuke stood in the doorway, shaking his head.

"Just can't keep your hands to yourself, can you?" he asked me.

I said nothing. He came over to me, pulled the box out of my hands, closed it and put it back on the top shelf.

"...Sasuke, I-"

"Don't bother." He interrupted. "That was a long time ago. I'd just feel a lot better if it were..."

"Forgotten?" I provided.

He nodded. I walked over to the bed and sat down.

"You know... I'd always wished I could have pictures like that... Something to think about or go back to, when times were hard." I told him.

"That's pointless." He said, closing the closet door.

I cocked my head.

_How so?_

"Why do that when you can make the best of the future..." then he gazed at me. "And the present."

I grasped his hand, pulling him closer to me. He hesitated.

"Naruto." He mumbled. "Why do you want to do this?"

As he spoke, he looked down at the carpet.

"This isn't something you have to do for me..."

"It's not like I feel obligated or anything." I told him.

"Then..."

"I told you already, didn't I?" I asked. "I want you. So...just let me have you."

He kept his eyes on the floor.

"And what if I told you I don't want _you _that way?" he asked me.

_...Really?_

I grabbed his shirt firmly, knocking him off balance. He fell onto me, pushing his palms into the bed to break his fall. Before he could do anything, I leaned up into him and kissed him softly. I slid my hand around the back of his neck, keeping him steady. My lips pressed against his, I allowed my tongue to slip out wetting his lips. I felt his body trembling in my arms. Something in his boxers nudged my crotch. I smiled.

"Can you still say that now?" I asked him breathlessly.

He avoided my eyes but didn't try to stop me.

_This guy is so confusing... What the hell does he want?_

I raised my head to him and continued kissing him, this time lightly on the neck. I took in the sweet smell of seawater still fresh on his skin and sucked on a spot on his neck right under the previous hickey I'd given him. I could feel his pulse quickening and his chest expanded, pushing down onto mine. I let my tongue escape my lips and trace a circle around and spot I'd been sucking. I heard him moan quietly. I lifted my lips to his ear and kissed the lobe.

"Sasuke..." I whispered.

He shuddered as my breath tickled his ear.

"Come on... I know you want this."

It was sudden. Like the snapping of a pencil. He pressed me down onto the bed and lifted his head. His dark eyes finally connected with mine and then in a way I could never predict, his lips connected with mine. His tongue greeted mine immediately and thirstily, like he was finally drinking a vat of water after having walked days in the desert. I can't describe that single moment. I was holding my breath. More than anything... I just wanted to know that I wasn't alone in what I was feeling. By finally initiating something that meant that I wasn't crazy. There really was something between us.

( Play... Long Kiss GoodBye- Halicali)

I kissed back wholeheartedly, feeling absolutely at peace. My hand wrapped around the back of his neck. I slid myself farther back onto his queen sized bed. Inching toward the headboard, he crawled along over me, mouth never leaving mine. My back pressed against his sheets. He leaned on me, hands searching my chest and waist. Then suddenly, he grabbed the shirt I was wearing and pulled it up. I sat up momentarily, allowing him to pull it over my head.

"This time... I want to be in control." He whispered.

His lips tickled my ear and slowly, his hand found its way to my crotch. His fingers curled around what was protruding there. He raised his eyebrows to me and sat up.

"Already?" he asked.

"That's been there since we were on the beach." I replied, shrugging.

He smirked at me.

"Just like that morning when we slept on Gaara's futon?" He asked me.

I played dumb and averted my eyes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, yeah?" he asked. "Does the phrase 'wet-dream' bring anything to mind?"

My face flushed.

"Shut-up." I remarked.

He sneered.

"You're like a twelve year old."

_Such a bastard... _

Suddenly, he touched my cheek very tenderly. I slowly looked into his eyes.

"Were you really dreaming about me then?" he asked.

Strangely, I found that I couldn't lie... Not to that face... Or those dark, sparkling eyes.

I nodded. Without another word, he lowered down to my waistline and pulled my boner out into the open.

For some reason, I recalled my wet-dream. It was a lot like what was happening then. Sasuke was on top of me, kissing me, pulling my clothes off. Except it was sunny outside. The sunlight shimmered off of his eyelashes. He kept caressing me and telling me he loved me...

I felt his lips wrap around it and jolted.

"Saaaasuke."

In response, he swiftly licked around the head of it. I shuddered.

_How many times have I begged for something like this to happen in just the past few days? Was I just an incredibly horny teenager or... Or is it just him?_

I rubbed his back, encouraging him.

"Keep going, Sasuke..."

He sucked faster.

"Yeah... Just like that..."

But despite how content I was to finally be getting that from him, I couldn't help but wonder... Is this just a onetime thing, too?

"I'm...almost there..."

_Will he leave me again after this?_

"Ahhhh, Saaaasuke..."

I gripped the back of his shirt and a low moan erupted from my lips. I lay there breathing heavily as he pulled himself onto me.

"Satisfied?" he asked, licking the rest of it off of his lips.

"Stop trying to seem like you're doing me a favor." I said, still reeling from the wonderful feeling that just overcame me.

He cocked his head, eying me playfully.

"Maybe I am." He said.

I recalled the reaction he'd had when I first kissed him. My hand crawled up his leg and I grabbed the waistband of his boxers. Before he could do anything, I pulled them down. His dick was completely erect and dripping, I smirked at him as he avoided my eyes.

"Yeah, because you're so totally unaffected by this." I said sarcastically.

I touched the tip of his erection, playing with it in my fingers, watching his breathing speed up and his face redden. Finally, he sighed and looked down at me.

"If you keep playing like this, I'll want to go further..." he warned me.

"Bring it on, Emo Boy."

Light off. Clothes off. Boxers off. ...Lotion on.

I kept toying with him, taking my time lathering him in lotion.

"I can't wait anymore." He whispered.

"It feels so good hearing you sounding anxious."

He bore down on me and eased himself into me. I felt it pressing and struggled to keep from clenching my muscles.

"This might hurt..." he mumbled.

It amazed me to see an asshole like him giving me a warning. As he pushed into me, my mind wandered back to just a couple days before. The way I saw him... A pretentious snob only concerned about getting into college and willing to trample over anyone, even his mother, to get there. And I suppose, maybe, he still was that guy...

He continued pushing in, an inch at a time. My back curled. He eased his hand into my hair, trying to relax me.

"Just look at me." he said. "And stop thinking."

"You're telling _me _not to think?" I joked. "You must want this _bad_."

But I kept my eyes on him and distracted my thoughts. He looked at me and our eyes connected as he continued pushing. I lost myself in those dark eyes and hair, always making that beautiful swoop across his forehead. His cheeks were a wonderful shade of pink, hot from the excitement of sex.

What really drove me crazy was how quickly I fell for this guy... And even that in itself was iffy. Had I really completely fallen for him? Could I really say that... Maybe... I was... In love with him?

He firmly pushed into me a final time. I arched my back and gritted my teeth.

"Are you okay?" he said, breathlessly.

"Yeah, fine. It's just... You know... Someone's dick in my ass." I replied sarcastically.

He smirked at me.

"I thought you'd be used to this kind of thing." He said, beginning to rock back and forth. "You seemed so eager about it..."

I rolled my eyes.

"Really? _That _coming from Mr. Suit and Tie?" I asked him, bracing myself. "I was actually more surprised you didn't come onto _me_, Emo Boy."

"Shut-up, I'm trying to concentrate." He mumbled.

I sneered.

"That inexperienced, huh?" I asked.

I watched the rise and fall of his chest over me. His normally pale skin was taking on color because of the warmth. His bruises were gone for the most part. I caressed his skin causing him to shudder. He closed his eyes. I fell into the rhythm of his movements, pushing back against him as he pushed into me. I pulled him down again, aching for another taste of his lips. We kissed again and he rocked even faster, getting more excited. I parted my lips and slipped his bottom lip into my mouth, biting it softly. He moaned again, a bit louder. My fingers traced his stone hard nipples, causing him to moan even louder. I loved his voice and jolted, unable to stop myself from shooting out an extra time. The moment it hit his chest, he gripped the sheets and breathed deeply, relaxing onto me. If it wasn't for the warm, wet sensation shooting up my ass before he pulled out I might not have been able to tell he came the same time I did. His head rested in the center of my chest. I put my arms around him and hugged him close to me. I couldn't help but feel a bit excited at the prospect of having him so close to me. I buried my face in his hair. A couple silent moments passed between us... But only a couple.

"Sasuke..." I whispered.

He shifted, signaling he was listening.

"You're not... Really going to leave me, are you?" I asked him.

_It's not like I'm obligated to be with you forever or anything..._

He was quiet for so long I almost thought he fell asleep. The clock on his nightstand shinned in midnight blue letters: 3:42am.

"Idiot..." he finally whispered. "I'm not going anywhere...without you..."

*Trust Me*

It took me a second to remember where I was. I blinked. The light blue walls around me shimmered with the sunlight pouring in through the blinds. I glanced to the left and the moment my eyes settled on him everything came flooding back in. He was sleeping peacefully. His black hair hung over his eyes. I rose up and touched his cheek. He shifted, rolling over onto his back and blinked. I grinned down at him.

"Good morning, Sasuke." I said.

He looked up at me for a while and then sleepily closed his eyes again. I glanced downward and smirked at what I saw.

"Looks like you're the one with a morning issue this time." I said, reaching into the sheets and grabbing his boner.

His eyes popped open and he pushed me away.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to keep your hands to yourself?" he asked, rolling over so that his back faced me.

I pushed him back.

"Get out of bed, come on." I said.

He yawned.

"It's Sunday." He mumbled. "Why the hell should I?"

"Come on, man. Catching Fire came out this weekend, let's catch a matinee."

"I'm not going to a stupid movie..." he replied.

I continued poking, prodding and tickling him until he finally grabbed my hair and shoved me off the bed. He slowly sat up and stretched as I rubbed my sore head.

"Give me a warning next time you decide to be violent."

"Give _me_ a warning next time you decide to be annoying..." he retorted. "But then, you'd be giving me warnings all day."

I ignored him and made my way across his room. I pushed his door open and raised my eyebrows.

"Your house is huge!"

Right outside of Sasuke's bedroom was a balcony that circled the entire second floor landing. I leaned over the balcony, looking down into the den which was circled by a continuous bookshelf, filled completely with books. His house reminded me of something you'd see in some old British movie.

"Why don't I remember this?"

"Because you were drunk." Sasuke lamented, walking past me.

I saw him heading for the bathroom door and dashed inside before him.

"And your bathroom looks like something out of a royalty magazine."

He yawned again and paused in front of the toilet where he worked on finding out how to pee with that boner.

I walked past him and over to the shower which wasn't like my square shaped shower at home at all. It was so huge, there were two different spouts where shower water could come out of...and it had different dials and options for how strong you wanted to stream to be.

_What the hell does his Uncle do?! And how can_ I_ get that job?!_

I heard the toilet flush and Sasuke came up next to me.

"Are you rich?" I asked him.

He rolled his eyes.

"Get out, I'm going to take a shower."

"Let's take it together."'

He stared at me like that was the dumbest suggestion on Earth.

"Come on, it'll be fun." I said, grabbing him.

"Don't push me."

I closed the shower door behind us and cocked my head.

"How does this work anyway?" I asked.

He sighed and pulled the knob out and turned it to the left. Both water spouts came on, immediately drenching us with water.

"Sweet." I said.

He grabbed his soap bottle, poured some into his washcloth and then tossed it to me. I doused myself in the liquid soap.

"But really though." I asked as the soap suds slid down my chest. "I can't believe your Uncle can afford all this."

Sasuke said nothing.

"I mean, what the hell does he own? The color blue?" I asked him.

He remained quiet. I sighed.

"It's fine." I said, turning my back. "You don't have to tell me. I was just curious..."

Suddenly, I felt a hand in my hair. Something cool and wet pooled on the top of my head and I felt Sasuke's hands scrubbing it. I closed my eyes as the soap suds traveled down my face.

"It's not you." He finally said. "But I don't want to have to lie to you... So... Just stop asking about my family."

He shoved my head under the stream of water allowing the soap run out of my hair. I turned around.

"You never considered just telling me the truth?" I asked.

He stared at me emotionlessly.

"That's not an option."

"Trusting me isn't an option?"

"I told you, it's not you."

We were both silent for a while. Some of the soap in my hair ran into my eyes. I bent my head momentarily to rub it out. I felt Sasuke's hand on my back using one of the washcloths to scrub me. His excessive touch was...

I turned around.

"What if there was something really important that I couldn't tell _you_?" I asked him.

He shifted his weight and glanced away from me for a second. I sighed.

"Don't lie." I said curtly.

I turned around and gripped the shower handle planning to leave. He quickly pressed his hand on my shoulder and forced me around. His lips were on mine before I could even gather my thoughts. The steam rose around us. His wet, bare body pressed against mine. And for the third time in less than twenty four hours, I got hard against him. I kissed him back, almost completely forgetting that we were arguing. He slowly pulled back and looked me in the eyes.

"He owns Uchiha Senju." he told me.

My brain scrambled for a moment and then it clicked.

"The Bank?" I asked.

He nodded.

"C.E.O of the entire thing."

The Uchiha Senju bank was bigger than Wells Fargo, with over fifty thousand different locations and probably a million ATMS. Why the hell didn't I put it together sooner?

"No wonder you're filthy rich!" I exclaimed.

His hand slid down my chest and he turned the water off. We exited the shower and he tossed me a towel. I wiped the water out of my hair and off my face.

"I'm not rich." He corrected. "He is."

"But he's your guardian."

He shrugged.

"That's irrelevant..."

We re-entered his room and he pulled his underwear drawer open. He tossed me a spare pair of red boxer briefs and put on a dark blue pair of his own.

I watched him walk over to the closet with my brain working over-drive.

_I was giving this guy slack, thinking his life was just as awful as mine but... His Uncle's probably in Forbes magazine, his house is probably in the wealthiest neighborhood in the whole of Konoha and he can probably have anything he wants at the snap of a finger. Is that why he avoided coming here? Was he ashamed of being so well off? _

He pulled a pair of tan colored Dickey's slim fit pants on and tossed me a pair of plaid gray and white shorts.

"I don't wear those." He said. "Keep them."

_Or maybe... _I thought as I pulled the shorts on._ He didn't want me to know how perfect his life was. Maybe it's just as I thought and he was having fun just toying with me this entire time... Maybe, this is all just some kind of sick rich kid game to him._

He glanced at me.

"You look stupider than usual." He pointed out. "What are you thinking about?"

I opened my mouth, ready to lay all my cards on the table but then a door slammed downstairs. Something I'd never seen before in the entire roller-coaster ride week I've known him flashed across Sasuke's face... An expression of pure terror. The expression chilled me straight to the bone. He darted for me and grabbed my shoulders.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit." He said under his breath.

I grabbed his wrists as he pushed me backward.

"What? What's wrong?"

His eyes locked on his closet and he pushed me toward it.

"What are you-"

He shoved me and I stumbled backward, hitting my back on the clothes. Some of them fell off the hanger and hit the carpet.

"Naruto, listen to me." he ordered. "No matter what you see or hear, don't do anything."

"Sasuke, what's-"

"Shut. Up." He said through gritted teeth, fervently glancing at the door.

I'd never seen such a look of urgency on anyone's face before in my life.

"I'm serious." He told me. "Just stay here. No matter what. Just stay in here."

I nodded slowly, too shocked to speak. He closed the closet doors quickly shutting me in darkness. Almost as soon as he did, his bedroom door swung open.

*In The Closet*

Luckily, or unluckily, Sasuke's closet had a large crack. I could see the person walking in as clearly as if I was standing right there. He wore an all gray slim fit suit with a black shirt and a blood red tie. As he entered, he took his jacket off and hung it carefully on the door knob. His long black hair swung around as he looked carefully at everything in the room. His eyes settled on Sasuke last.

"Where have you been?" he asked calmly.

Sasuke stood in the center of the room, making a point not to look anywhere near the closet.

"Here" He replied quickly.

"All weekend?" the man asked, loosening his tie.

"No." Sasuke replied rather slowly.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glanced around the room.

"I had a project."

"Oh? A project?" he asked, nearing him. "And you just couldn't come home once?"

Sasuke's eyes pierced into his. He was clearly having one of those desperate moments where you need your brain to become the most useful it's ever been. But his brain wasn't giving him anything. He remained silent.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" he asked him, rolling his right sleeve up.

Sasuke stood his ground as the man got closer to him. I could see both of them clearly. The man snapped his fingers at him.

"That wasn't a rhetorical question."

"No, Madara..." Sasuke lamented.

"That's 'No Madara Sir' to you."

I could feel the vigor with which Sasuke restrained to roll his eyes.

"You're acting as if you don't know Obito keeps tabs on the house." He said, pulling a Samsung Galaxy phone out of his pocket.

He flipped through it swiftly.

"The door has a timer on it. It rests every time the door is opened and that information goes directly to him." He told him. "You haven't been home once since we had that...discussion."

He rolled his other sleeve up.

"And what did I say during that discussion?"

Sasuke glared at him.

"Stay home all weekend."

"Right." Madara said nodding and cracking his knuckles. "And what did _you_ do?"

"I left the house." Sasuke responded in monotone.

"Exactly, just making sure we're both on the same page." He said.

For a split second, it seemed like he was leaving. He slipped his hands into his pocket and turned toward the door, then, suddenly, in a way that no one could've predicted. He balled his fist and gave Sasuke the right hook of a lifetime.

_What the hell...?_

My eyebrows popped up. It looked like a vicious hit, I definitely would've dropped but Sasuke barely took a step backward. He took it like it was nothing. Madara shook his fist out and punched him again, the exact same way. This time, he backed up a step and his hair flew over his face. I could see the bruise already growing around his eye, his cheek was turning a fiery red color.

_This isn't...right..._

He swung his fist at him again. Blood hit the wall behind them. His face was dripping with the red stuff. But Sasuke wasn't defending himself at all. He was just taking it.

_I've lived in foster homes my whole life... I know what normal child punishment is..._

He grabbed his hair, pulled his head down and kneed him in the chest. Sasuke gasped, clearly having the wind knocked out of him.

_But that means I also know what child abuse looks like..._

He kneed him in the chest again. Sasuke staggered forward. His knees hit the floor.

_He can't do that..._

He doubled over, grabbing his chest, struggling to catch his breath. Madara walked around him, pulled his foot back and kicked him in the side.

_I can't let him do that..._

He continued kicking him in his chest and stomping on his side, clearly going in as hard as he possibly could. Sasuke choked, his dry heaving filling the room.

_I know he told me to stay but... I can't..._

I pushed the door open.

"Stop it!" I shouted.

Madara was in the process of stomping on his stomach. He paused but then he went ahead and delivered one last heel drive into him before he coolly slid his hands into his pockets, turned around and faced me.

His eyes flicked over me quickly. Somehow I felt uneasy. Like he just recorded my entire appearance into his mental system for the rest of my life. I didn't let it shake me. I walked over to them and got between him and Sasuke.

"So you're the one with that ridiculously conspicuous car out front." He said. "I was waiting for you to crawl out of the woodwork."

_What?! He knew I was here the whole time?_

Madara crossed his arms and looked down at me. He was about four inches taller than me but no bigger than me at all. I wondered how hard his punches were. But with the way Sasuke was looking, I doubted I could take any of them.

"I'm guessing you're also the one who's been luring Sasuke all weekend." He went on.

"You can't distract me with your stupid word games." I told him. "I should call child services right now. You just hit a minor."

To my complete surprise, he smirked at me.

"Let me ask you this, boy." He said. "Do you really think I would hit him, knowing you were around here somewhere, if I were afraid of what you could do or say?"

_He has a point..._

He swept his long black hair back and rested his dark eyes on mine, I could see some slight resemblance in him to Sasuke, but not an enormous amount. It sickened me to think someone actually related to him by blood would do this.

"Let me just put it this way." He said. "I make more money in a day than you'll make in a lifetime."

"So what?" I asked him. "That doesn't give you the right of child abuse!"

He sighed and shook his head.

"Such idiocy." He said, then his eyes settled on me. "Money. Money. Money. That's all that matters. I have enough money to buy my way out of any situation your mouth could ever put me into."

He approached me. His sneer widened.

"I have so much money that I could hire some people to deal with you to ensure that you never step foot on my property again..." He told me. "And they would never be able to trace it back to me."

_I don't like the way he put that..._

I took a timid step back. He wrung his fists out.

"Hell, I have enough money to deal with you myself and they _still_ wouldn't be able to trace it back to me." He said, cracking his knuckles. "So, frankly, boy, you're in a losing situation..."

_Now I'm beginning to realize why he told me to stay in the closet..._

He stepped toward me. I saw his hand coming for me out of the corner of my eye but he was too close. There was no way I'd be able to block it. I closed my eyes, bracing myself but the impact never came.

I opened my eyes. Sasuke stood in front of me, gripping Madara's fist which was centimeters from his own face. He reached back and grabbed my hand, keeping me steady behind him.

"I don't care what you do to me." he said quietly. "But if you even lay a _finger_ on him... I'll kill you."

Sasuke's hand curled around Madara's fist, causing him to retract it quickly. He clearly didn't plan on that but he looked only mildly surprised. His eyes flicked to mine. I glared back at him from over Sasuke's shoulder. The split second of uncertainty passed quickly and that "cool and collected" act washed back over him in an instant. He shrugged and backed away from us.

"We're not finished with this discussion, Sasuke." Was all he said before he picked his suit jacket up off of the door knob and left the room.

Sasuke held his position until we heard the door slam all the way downstairs. Only then, did he allow himself to relax. Blood was dripping from his nose over his lip. He pulled some Kleenex off of his nightstand and wiped it away. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know if I even should have said anything. But I didn't want to leave either. He sat down on the edge of the bed and I sat next to him. The red and dark green quilt that I previously recognized as being out of place was flung onto the floor. Sasuke bent down, picked it up and hugged it to his chest like he was a little kid. z

"My Mother made this for me." he said. "Before she died."

I grabbed the quilt along with him. Our fingers went over the little knots and fabric and pieces of cotton sticking out. It was ripped and raggedy and one end of it was completely blackened. Sasuke's fingers grazed the singed part.

"My Brother...started the fire." He said. "It was on Christmas Eve... Since my parents were still lying to me about Santa Claus, I had to go to bed early so I wouldn't know when they brought the presents in. Itachi was a lot older. He wanted to make chocolate chip cookies that night."

I watched as he spoke. It was less like he was speaking to me and more like he was just speaking in general. Maybe, after all this time, he just needed to talk, someone to listen.

"I was helping him at first but then I had to go to sleep. I just remember waking up with all the smoke everywhere. I could feel the heat, even from all the way upstairs in my bedroom." He told me. "A fire fighter somehow got into my room and brought me out. My brother was nowhere to be found. And my parents were dead."

I slid my hand over his. He looked at our interlocked fingers while he went on.

"They split us up after that. Because Itachi started the fire and he couldn't tell anyone why or how, they put him in an orphanage for distressed children named 'Akatsuki'. And... Madara came for me."

"He _wanted _you?" I asked.

He nodded.

"I was in the hospital for a while being treated for burns and smoke inhalation." He said. "I remember the day he came with toys for me. Bribing me to come live with him."

He suddenly smiled sourly.

"Even when I was seven, I knew that guy was an asshole." He said. "But I thought it'd be better to live with the devil I knew than the devil I didn't know."

_Ain't that the damn truth..._

"When I was eleven, I met Itachi again. He turned eighteen and got out of that place and came to see me here. He told me it was basically like a mental asylum. All the kids in there had killed people or seen people get killed and went crazy as a result of it. His best friends were some orphans named Nagato, Konan and Yahiko." He tossed the blanket around in his fingers. "They, and a lot of other people, ended up getting transferred to a real mental asylum afterwards. But...somehow...Itachi got out."

"Did he start the fire on purpose?" I asked him.

Sasuke froze. He opened his mouth slowly.

"No." He responded. "If he did... Then he'd have been able to look me in the eyes that time he came to visit me or answer my phone calls now... I think it's because he feels so guilty about what happened... He can't come back to me."

He dropped the blanket to the floor.

"I haven't seen him in person since I was eleven years old." He told me. "The main reason I stay here is because... This is the place where he left me. I feel like if I leave here, he won't be able to find me."

He turned to me. His bruises were solidifying. His red skin was turning purple around his eye. His cheek had a jagged cut on it. The red marks on his chest and stomach were turning to welts. There was a swelling hand mark on his left arm where Madara had grabbed him.

"Do you think that's ridiculous?" he asked me.

I put my head on his shoulder and gripped his hand tightly.

"No." I whispered.

We were quiet for a while. For some reason, I wanted to cry but I knew, better than anyone, that tears didn't solve anything. The empty pain filled the room.

"Do you think... if he knew about what that bastard does to you, he'd come get you?" I asked him.

His eyes were closed. He licked his lips, his bottom lip was cut pretty badly.

"I don't know." Was all he said.

(Author's Note: What did you guys think about everyone's dreams and aspirations during the "beach" scene? And make sure you follow the story to get more on Sasuke's past next time!)


	6. Chapter 6

Sasuke

*Nightmare*

I jumped up. It was dark, but somehow, I knew something was wrong. I swung my legs over the bedside and my feet hit the wooden floor of my bedroom. The floor was incredibly hot, startled, I jumped back up onto my bed. I could hear screaming.

"Sasuke!"

_I'm scared..._

I crawled over my brother's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bed sheets and grabbed my Spider Man sneakers off the floor on the other side. After pushing my small feet into them, I jumped onto the floor.

"Sasuke, where are you?!"

I grabbed the doorknob, ignoring the hot burning pain and pulled it open. I was blasted off my feet and hit the wall on the other side of the room. A whoosh of smoke entered the room. I fell to the floor, feeling an enormous amount of pain in my chest... Like I'd broken some ribs. I coughed, struggling to breathe in the cool air on the floor.

_Help me..._

I got onto my knees and crawled out of the room. Everything was on fire. I was surrounded by fire. I could barely see anything. It was hot. Incredibly hot.

"Where is he!?" a voice shouted.

_Daddy..._

I couldn't get any words out. It wasn't the smoke or the fire. I was in some sort of mental shock. I couldn't even open my mouth. I felt the tears streaming down my face. I felt like I'd been crying for a while but I didn't know when it started.

"He's not in his room!" another voice shouted.

_Mommy..._

Something broke. I heard them screaming.

I stared down at my miniature hands on the floor. I made my way out into the hallway. I wasn't sure if it was dizziness but everything looked like it was shaking. My hands were burning and the knees of my pajamas were turning black from the heat of the floor. A whoosh of fire came up in front of the stairs. I backed away, too frightened to try and go down them. The floor caved in next to me. I heard those screams again. My fingers trembled as my seven year old mind tried to contemplate what to do next. I began feeling dizzy. My knees hurt so I tried to get to my feet but I collapsed in seconds. I could hear my house falling down around me... Breaking down and swallowing me whole...

I jumped up in bed and sucked in a mouthful a cool air. My hair was matted to my forehead. I felt hot even though I wasn't wearing a shirt. My finger trembled with the memory of the nightmare. There was a word on my tongue desperately trying to get out.

"N-N-Naruto?"

I looked around. It was sunset. I'd probably slept the entire day away but I couldn't remember when I'd fallen asleep. The last thing I remembered, I was lying on my bed with Naruto. He was stroking my hair, holding me to his chest. My memories elongated. I recalled Madara coming back earlier than I expected... And what happened.

_No wonder I feel so sore._

That memory brought me back to my dream. A dream I had often. And I always woke up the same way, with my face wet from tears and my hands shaking. I curled up and put my head on my knees.

The dream always ended at the same part...with me collapsing from smoke inhalation. But that wasn't where my life ended. Somehow, a fire fighter made his way up the staircase and saved me. I was carried in his arms outside to the same ambulance they put Itachi in. He stood there, eyes wide and fearful as they strapped me down onto the carrier.

"I'm fine." He said over and over. "Pay attention to him."

But a couple fire fighters picked him up and strapped him down, too. I remember all that. I remember being conscious throughout all that. I was there. But at the same time, it was like I wasn't there. I didn't speak the entire week I was in the hospital. I read the reports the doctors wrote, even though they assumed I couldn't read.

_Sasuke Uchiha. Age 7. Treated for depleted oxygen to the brain caused by smoke inhalation, two broken ribs, and multiple first degree burns to the hands, knees and feet. Suffering from extreme Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder._

Itachi was in the same hospital room I was in for three days, then they took him. His analysis was right next to mine.

_Itachi Uchiha. Age 14. Treated for a single second degree burn to the chest. Takes responsibility for starting the fire though cannot explain how or where fire happened. May be suffering from Amnesia. _

The day they took him to the Akatsuki center, he said one single thing to me.

"Keep living, Sasuke."

I watched him get in the car that drove him away. I was taken back to my hospital bedroom. There was a golden retriever dog waiting for me there. A dog that went around to all the rooms of the most traumatized patients. I hadn't spoken that entire time but finally, my mouth opened.

"I was in Itachi's room." I said, tearfully. "Mommy and Daddy were looking for me but I wasn't in my room, I was in Itachi's room."

The dog looked up at me with wide brown eyes as I pet him.

"I fell asleep waiting for Itachi..."

_Why the hell am I thinking about something so depressing now?_

I got out of bed and stretched.

_Anyway, it looks like Naruto found his way home. _

I paused, looking at myself in the mirror. I looked like hell.

_I wouldn't blame him if he never came back..._

Sounds of conversation and light laughter wafted up to me from downstairs. After putting a black button up on over my khaki colored pants with a pair of black converse, I exited my room and peered down from the top of the balcony.

My eyes narrowed sourly as I saw who was down there. In the middle of the den, Madara sat down with his close friends Orochimaru and Kabuto and my cousin Obito.

"And neither of them had shirts on?!" Obito exclaimed. "Get out of here!"

"I kid you not." Madara said.

"Talk about 'Caught in the Act'" Kabuto said. "Or maybe... 'Coming out of the Closet' is a better phrase."

Obito and Orochimaru burst into laughter. They were sitting at the table, cards were strewn about. Madara set a hand on the table.

"I pass." Orochimaru said before he smirked. "So, our little baby Sasuke has a boyfriend now, huh?"

"Is it because he can't get a girl?" Kabuto asked. "Is that it?"

I gripped the banister.

"I just want to know who's on top." Obito said. "I mean, it's one thing to go that way, but let's just pray he's not the bitch."

Orochimaru almost fell out of his seat laughing.

"I fold." Kabuto said, through bursts of laughter. "Oh god, this is getting funnier by the second.

"Well, there goes the bloodline." Madara sighed before picking up his glass of wine. "How sad..."

"I wonder if sucked him off..." Orochimaru mused.

The table was silent. Everyone looked at him.

"Okay, that's a bit too far..." Obito mumbled.

"Yeah, that's a little... Ahem..." Kabuto said.

Orochimaru shrugged. "You guys are the ones who seem so anxious that he likes boys. It's not like it matters."

_Yeah, because you all won't allow me to be with anyone, boys or girls, anyway..._

Kabuto put a hand down.

"Ah, Oro, you're only saying that because you have a thing for guys yourself." He said

"More like little boys." Obito corrected. "That's why we never used to leave Sasuke alone with you when he was little. Now _that_ would be cruelty."

Orochimaru crossed his arms but denied nothing. I almost threw up in my mouth.

"Maybe that's why the kid's messed up now." Kabuto said, sipping his beer. "Did you end up doing something to him after all?"

Orochimaru rolled his eyes.

"You're one to talk about love, Obito. Still griping about that girl who fell off the mountain in your rock climbing trip all those years ago."

Suddenly, Obito's lips pursed together.

"What was her name? Rin or something?" he went on.

"That was _real _love!" Obito declared. "...Something _you _wouldn't understand. I pass."

"As I recall, the girl was eight years old. I can hardly call that _true_ love..." Orochimaru snickered.

"More like a play-date." Kabuto added.

Madara slammed his cards down, winning the round.

"Alright, enough mindless talk." He said to them.

Everyone snapped to attention.

"Kabuto..."

He picked his cigar off the table and took a long drawl.

"You have the info, right?"

Kabuto nodded and a sneer stretched across his disgusting face. He pulled a folder out of the briefcase on the floor and put it on the table as Obito stacked up the playing cards. He opened the folder and my blood ran cold as my eyes locked on what looked like a school photo of Naruto.

"Naruto Uzumaki. Birthday; October 10th 1996. Age sixteen. Hair blonde. Eyes blue. Only child to Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze. Two lovers who never got married and ran off to war together only to be blown to pieces by a car bomb!" Kabuto paused to laugh. Everyone else joined in.

"The two year old illegitimate bastard turned orphan was then tossed from foster home to foster home until he finally settled down with that wreck of a woman and her late husband at age twelve. So you see, Madara, like I said before, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

"Keep going." Madara said. "I want all the information."

"Right, right..." Kabuto said. "Well... As of right now, he's a dim-witted, C-average student who barely passes any class, skips school constantly and holds Algebra as his worst subject where he met Sasuke and became his project partner. The kid's a waste of life. Going absolutely nowhere and fast... But there is one thing he has a knack for..."

My breath caught in my throat.

"He's captain of the soccer team. Rarely leaves one game without scoring and just this Friday, he won his whole school the championships."

_No, no, no..._

"Sports scouts from universities all over the country are looking at this worthless kid, now. Millions of doors and opportunities are being opened for him. It would be a shamed if...they closed."

Obito slammed his palms down on the table.

"Bang!" he shouted.

They all held their stomachs and roared with laughter.

_How the hell does he know that? Wait, why am I even asking? This is Kabuto... He might even have more connections than Madara..._

"It's pretty clear to me." Obito said, leaning over Kabuto's shoulder. "It seems like if the idiot doesn't ace that project, he'll fail Algebra and be kicked off the soccer team. That should be enough to send him the message."

_Send him the message? _

Madara held his hand up, silencing Obito.

"I didn't tell you to stop." He said.

Kabuto pushed his glasses up and lowered his eyes back down to the folder.

"It doesn't just have to be him." Kabuto said. "He seems to care a lot about that other piece of shit boy he lives with."

_Konohamaru...? They know about him, too?_

"And that boy is even more of an idiot than he is. Read the facts." Obito said.

"Konohamaru Sarutobi. Age twelve. Hair brown. Eyes brown. Has been diagnosed with severe dyslexia and is suspected of having bipolar disorder. Failed the fifth grade two times already. Been suspended thirteen times. Been expelled nine times. Involved in gang activity, drug deals and suspended for multiple counts of armed robbery."

I recalled the night he and Inari hid the gun from us.

_That idiot..._

"And let's not forget about that disgraceful woman..." Kabuto reminded them, flipping the page. "Tsunade Senju. Age 54. Hair Blonde. Eyes Hazel. Contains a Doctorate in Medicine but after getting into the accident that killed her lover Jiraiya and her younger brother Nawaki, she never stepped in a hospital again. Suspected alcoholic and chain-smoker. Addicted to gambling. Charged with multiple counts of forgery, theft, and tax evasion."

_That woman has a Doctorate in something? ...Now I've seen everything..._

"Shit." Obito mumbled. "We can pull the rug out from under this kid any way we choose."

"Yup." Kabuto agreed. "That's why a kid like him will never make it. Way too many skeletons in his closet..."

At the mention of the word "closet" both he and Obito burst into laughter.

"Tsunade, huh?" Orochimaru mused. "I remember her. We went to the same university. She, Jiraiya and I used to be pretty close friends. We were all going in for business. Planning to get enough credentials to take over our parent's companies... But then she decided she had a deeper interest in medicine...and Jiraiya..."

Madara clasped his hands together.

"You said... Her surname is Senju?" he asked.

Kabuto nodded.

Madara leaned back in his chair.

"His fate is sealed then." He said. "They all must be terminated."

My feet were moving before I gave them the okay. I was heading toward the staircase, ready to fling myself into the line of fire. There was no way I was going to let them plan anything.

"That's a bit hasty." Orochimaru said. "Just because the surname is the same doesn't mean she's_ the_ Senju."

"She is." Madara said. "Out of all the Senju's that were...terminated...in the process of stabilizing the Uchiha Senju banking corporation, there were two that could never be accounted for... A teenage girl and her kid brother."

He took a swig of the scotch in his glass.

"If what you're telling me is correct, the brother is already dead leaving just _one_ last loose end..." then he smiled. "It's lovely how destiny works, isn't it?"

I continued circling the balcony, ready to descend the front staircase directly in front of them.

"I'm tired of doing this bullshit for you, Madara." Obito said. "Last time I did a favor for you, my face got burned in a house fire."

I stumbled. Obito pointed at his face. He was grinning jokingly, making the scarred side of his face look warped and sickening.

"No one asked you to go into that burning house, Obito, _you_ were going against orders. That's why your face is messed up." Madara told him.

"You told me to save the kid!" he retorted.

"Lower your voice." He said.

I ducked behind the wall right at the moment Madara's eyes flicked toward the staircase.

"I told you to save one child _only_ if the fire fighters didn't get there first." He said. "The fire fighters were already saving Sasuke by the time you went in and got Itachi out of that basement."

_Basement?_

"Speaking of that, I never got the whole story." Kabuto said. "What the hell was the plan anyway?"

"Very simple." Madara said. "Obito suggests to a stupid teenage boy to bake cookies for the little brother he adores... Something goes terribly wrong and a house fire starts. Everyone is killed except the boy who decided to bake the cookies."

_This can't be happening..._

Then Madara made an annoyed sound.

"Well, that's what was supposed to happen if_ Obito_ didn't rescue Itachi." He said. "Itachi was in the perfect place. Locked in the basement where no one would be able to find him until the Obito gave the hint to the fire fighter."

I heard something slam down on the table, like a wine glass.

"A freak accident messed it up!" Obito exclaimed. "When the fire started, there was a can of gas next to the kitchen, it made this huge explosion giving Itachi a way to crawl out and tell someone that his little brother was sleeping in _his_ bedroom that night."

"Long story short, I was stuck with two heirs to the Uchiha Senju company and not just one."

_Heirs?!_

"Luckily, Itachi continued believing his stupid cookies caused the fire and was sent to the Akatsuki, leaving me with just one heir. And as long as he stays in my custody, I'll remain the C.E.O of the company."

I had slid down to the floor next to the staircase. I pressed my palms to the sides of my head, covering my ears. But the information kept swirling in, back and forth. I shook my head hard.

_So this was it? The reason why he treated me like this... The reason why he wouldn't allow me to make friends or gain some kind of independence... It was all because he was worried...no...terrified...that I'd discover that I was supposed to own the company one day._

"Well, it all worked out anyway. Sasuke knows nothing about who he is... He never even asked if his parents left him anything in their will. And Itachi... Well, after going to college, he got a bit smarter. Came back thinking he could just take what he was owed..." Obito said, snickering. "We told him if he ever came back here again, we'd turn the kid into a paraplegic."

I kept pressing my hands to my ears but the words wouldn't stop flowing in.

Everyone laughed, Obito the hardest.

"That is so fucked up." Kabuto said. "You guys are too much."

"Yeah, I might consider not being so close with you Uchiha anymore either..." Orochimaru said with a snide smile.

"You know what makes it so fucked up? The fact that you both beat the shit out of that kid every chance you get." Kabuto pointed out. "So much for keeping up your part of the deal."

Obito scoffed.

"The point is... The kid's a nobody. He means nothing. No one cares about Naruto Uzumaki. No one is going to go looking for Naruto Uzumaki in the event that you take action." He said. "So... Madara... How are we going to do it?"

*Konohamaru's Help*

(Play Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People)

I barely remember how but somewhere between the truth about my entire past and the sound of my brain imploding, I ended up at Naruto's house. I didn't even remember the walk there. I didn't even remember when I decided to go there. It was just that...

_I have nowhere else to go, do I?_

"Fucking bastard!" someone yelled. "I told you to cut the cameras _before _you go in."

I turned my head, standing behind the busted up KIA in the driveway, Konohamaru crouched talking on his iphone 5.

"No, man. It's _not_ cool." He said. "If you fuck up, that's _my_ ass going to fucking juvie! Fix it!"

He hung up the phone and slammed his hand down on the car. I was walking toward him and speaking before I could even think of anything else.

"Drugs." I said. "You sell, right?"

Konohamaru jumped, looking startled and then quickly thrust a finger in front of his lips.

"Calm that shit down, man." He said lowly, looking around for listening ears. "Yeah, I might do-"

He paused, eyebrows jumping up.

"Whoa! What the fuck happened to your face!?" he exclaimed.

I said nothing.

"Dammit it, when did you get a job as a punching bag?"

"Shut up and tell me what you have."

He stared at me for a long time and then cocked his head.

"Follow me." he said.

We walked past Naruto's house. As we passed the window I knew to belong to his bedroom, his words echoed in my ears.

"_Sasuke, if you ever buy drugs from my little brother, I'll kill you."_

_You couldn't kill me anymore than I'm already dead..._

My sneakers tapped along the pavement after his. Minutes passed. I was growing anxious, itching for something, anything. It was insane. I hadn't even mentally processed my need for it yet. He made an abrupt right three blocks down the road and we crossed through someone's yard.

"I hope you're not too much of a pansy to jump a fence." He called back to me.

He pulled himself up the wooden fence and dropped to the other side with ease. I recalled the areas he had used as foot and handholds and followed quickly after him. A luscious green forest washed over us. After a couple of minutes of walking through the darkening forest, Konohamaru stopped. In the impending darkness of night, it looked slightly ominous. Konohamaru stood looking at me with his eyebrows half-raised.

"Welcome to the Shack." He said motioning toward a small tool-shed looking house behind him.

The shed was painted all black and had "SHACK HOUSE" written on it in big white letters. Apart from the large white door, it also had a small window on the front of it which seemed to be bashed open. It didn't matter much if it was because it was too small for anyone to climb in through. Konohamaru pulled a small key out of his pocket and unlocked a padlock on the door. I ducked my head as I entered. It was slightly bigger inside than I thought it would be. There was a steel safe in one corner, a couple of cardboard boxes in the other corner and a table with three chairs in the center. Konohamaru motioned to a seat and nodded at me. I sat down as he opened the safe in front of me.

"No telling Naruto about this, you hear?"

"Whatever."

He glared at me.

"I mean it, man."

He pulled a bag out of the safe and dropped it on the table. I lifted it.

_This is..._

He put a blade on the table.

"It's obvious you've never run lines before." He said, pouring some of the white powder out on a mat. "So I got you this one time."

He slowly began cutting it into lines. I realized with a shock that my knees were jittering impatiently. He shoved it toward me.

"You snort it."

_I know that much..._

I bent my head, immediately feeling a slight tingle in my nose. I blinked rapidly, shook my head. Konohamaru was looking at me carefully.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked.

The room blurred momentarily then came back into focus.

"It's on the house." He said.

_Well, that's a surprise..._

"But I never would've pegged _you_ to do this kind of thing." He said. "What's up with you?"

I didn't reply. My fingers tapped on the wooden table. I wrinkled my nose.

_Just make it all go away... All go away..._

"Look, man, my brother seems to care about you, so I just want you to know." He went on. "If anyone's fucking with you, just point me in their direction and it's a done deal. Free of charge. You got me?"

I slowly turned my eyes to him.

"What the hell is a twelve year old going to do?" I asked him.

He smirked at me.

"Hannabi Hyuga's Dad has a .45 caliber pistol." He said shaping his hand like a gun. "And Inari has an eight-shot."

He pretended to shoot his hand into the air.

"I got connects, man." He told me.

I dropped my head and snorted another line. But, still, it didn't push the memory out of my mind.

_They started the fire... They started the fire that ruined my life..._

I could hear their laughter echoing in my brain. I wanted to press my hands against my ears again.

This can't be real...

"_...We told him if he ever came back here again, we'd turn the kid into a paraplegic."_

So, that's why you never come around anymore, Itachi? It's all because of him... Everything is because of him...

"_...No one cares about Naruto Uzumaki... So... How are you going to do it?"_

You bastards made one very vital mistake... _I _care.

I cut another line, positioning it like Konohamaru did.

_I care about him more than anyone else in this entire world._

I dropped my head down and sniffed in the next line.

_And I'll be dammed if I let you destroy his life like you destroyed mine._

Konohamaru was watching me curiously with his hands behind his head.

"It might blow your mind to hear me say this but... I've actually never snorted before." He told me.

He leaned back in his chair, balancing on the back two legs.

"It's just... You know..." he muttered.

_Finally... I think I feel a bit different now..._

"Naruto would kill me if he ever found out."

"You can let some bastard control your life, you know?" I said, lifting my head.

Konohamaru widened his eyes at me.

"Who gives a shit what he thinks?" I went on. "It's your life. You can't let anyone control your life."

He smiled.

"You know, you might be a bit more of a badass than I thought." He said.

I looked around the shack house quickly, noticing most of the objects he had placed around for the first time.

"Is that gun here?" I asked.

Konohamaru cocked his head.

"The one you said you had, the eight shot and the .45 caliber. Where is it?" I asked.

He grinned.

"You're in luck. The guys are going to be here any minute with them. You can check it out when they show up."

*Gun In Hand*

The room was heavy with the smell of weed. The first thing Konohamaru's friends did when they entered was pull out a couple bags and hit off a bong. I didn't mind stealing a couple hits with them. But finally... It was business time.

Inari slammed a briefcase down on the table. A little girl with brown hair that looked strikingly similar to Hinata, pulled a pair of black gloves on and eased her small hands into the briefcase.

"Pretty nice shot." She said. "But the gun-powder residue will be strong. You're gonna need gloves like these, a shirt you plan to gas and burn and perhaps a silencer... But that'll cost you."

"I don't need anything like that."

"Ohhh, we got a big boy over here." She said, winking at me. "I thought you said this guy was a nerd, Kono?"

Konohamaru shrugged.

"I can be wrong about people." He said.

Inari, the silent wonder, had been staring at me the entire time. It made me feel uneasy. I grabbed Hannabi's gun and headed toward the door. It had been a long time waiting for them to get there. I was ready to get things started before the effects of the coke wore off.

"Thanks." I said.

"Hey."

The voice was unfamiliar. I turned. Inari was staring at me.

"Who hurt you?" he asked me.

I locked eyes with him.

"Why does it matter?" I asked.

"My father..." he said. "Was shot by a police officer for no reason at a 99% rally that turned into a riot. The officer didn't even do time, claiming it was self-defense."

I watched the kid with the dark, large sorrowful eyes speak. Kono and Hannabi stared at him with wide eyes. It was clearly the most he'd ever said in one sitting. I wondered why he decided to speak to me of all people.

"I was there. I never forgot the police officer's face. I swore one day I'd track him down and kill him." He went on. "But then... The day I finally got the chance... The day I had the gun in hand and came to his house at night, I looked through the back window and saw him kissing his twin daughters to sleep and telling his wife he loved her and..."

"You couldn't do it?" I asked.

Konohamaru shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away. Hannabi's eyes lowered to the table.

"No." he said. "I waited until he came downstairs alone and blasted on him right in his damn kitchen. I waited a second, giving him a while to remember who I was. I wanted him to know who was killing him. It was all over the news a day later. Officer shot in his own home. Twin daughters and wife scarred for life..."

I cocked my head.

"So, then why are you telling me this?"

He shrugged.

"Sometimes, before I go to sleep, I wonder why I hesitated then, when I watched his family..." his eyes pierced into mine as I spoke. "And I wonder...if doing what I did made my life any better..."

The silence hung heavily in the room.

"I understand." I said.

I stuck the gun into my pocket and descended the tree house stairs.

_Nothing anyone says is going to stop me. _

My feet tapped against grass. I headed straight home. Straight for where I knew he'd be. It may have been the weed impairing my sense of time but I got home a lot faster than I thought I would. There were no cars in the driveway except the one that Madara owned. It seemed like not even Obito was home.

_Perfect..._

I pushed the doors open loudly and entered the house. Because the den was in perfect view of the front door, I saw him there sitting in the couch blowing puffs of his cigar into the air.

"Sasuke, is that you?" he called without turning to look.

I walked slowly, coming to face him.

"Leaving the house without permission again?" he asked. "That boyfriend of yours seems to be giving you courage."

"Shut up." I said.

He raised his eyebrows.

"But I didn't expect it to be _that _much courage."

"SHUT UP!" I shouted.

I pulled the gun out then. I pointed it right at his face and cocked it.

"Or I'll kill you right here and now."

_Yeah... That's it... I want to see that look on your face forever._

He appraised me, finally seeming to get serious.

"You want to kill me, Sasuke?" he asked.

"What the hell does this mean?" I asked him, thrusting the gun out.

"Well... Just let me have one last shot before you do..." he said, slowly reaching for his glass bottle of Scotch.

He took a quick shot and slammed the glass down.

"There." He said. "Now... Go ahead, if you dare."

"Stop talking." I said.

He shrugged.

"Fine."

I tried to collect my thoughts in my head but all that damn coke... It made my thoughts scattered.

"So you were listening into my conversation earlier afterall?" he asked. "Is that what this is about? You finally know the truth?"

He chuckled lowly.

"Oh, Sasuke... My, my, my..." he said. "It must be embarrassing, right? To find out that everyone knew the secrets of your own past except you. I truly am sorry for keeping it from you but...uh..."

He gripped the glass on the table.

"Your father was too soft." He said. "He would've taken the corporation to the ground... It was the least I could do for the family name to just...slip it away from him."

I wanted to cover my ears again.

"I told you to shut up!"

"And your brother, coming in later, trying to take what was 'rightfully his' took right after your father. He was all heart and idealisms. Never seeing reality for what it was." Then his eyes settled on me. "But Sasuke, I can tell that you're the one that should really inherit this family business. You have the drive... The eyes for it..."

I glared at him.

"Yes, yes, those eyes... Right now, staring me down. You're the one that will spill blood if you have to. You're ruthless, desperate, driven..." he said, then he smiled. "Just like I am."

He sat up in his chair and leaned forward, toward me. The barrel of the gun was an inch from his forehead. He looked up at me.

"That's why I kept you around, Sasuke." He said. "It's because I knew that you'd grow up to be the realist. The one who I can trust this company with. That's why I disciplined you the way I did. That's why I isolated you. Only a cornered dog will bare its fangs."

"Shut your fucking mouth!" I said, taking a step back. "I'll pull the trigger. I swear!"

He rose to his feet.

"Sasuke, listen." He said. "You're the future of this company. You're our little bread-winner. You're better than Itachi, Obito and your father combined."

My eyes widened.

_Better than...Itachi?_

"You'll rule the world one day." He said. "I can see that. So give me the gun. Do it. Do it and you'll have everything you want."

_Everything I...want?_

"I can help you start a new life. Become the new C.E.O, take control..."

_Control?_

"Isn't that what you want, Sasuke? Don't you want to take control? Don't you want your freedom back?"

_Yes... That's...exactly what I want..._

"It's obvious that that's what you want." He said. "That's why you chose that orphan boy... Because you knew that he has enough talent to gain power one day... And you're attracted to power just like me, aren't you?"

_Wait... What?_

"You knew he'd be successful. You knew he'd become a star. That's it, isn't it?" he said. "You see things like that from a mile away, don't you?"

"You're wrong."

He had been steadily making his way toward me but then he froze.

"What?"

Yeah... What am I saying? I'm just using him for scholarships, aren't I?

"_I'm not your fucking toy!"_

I even told him myself that this is just a onetime thing...

"_Stop treating me like an experiment."_

But that was at first... Now, it's different... Now, I...I...

"Wait, could it actually be that..." he looked at me seriously. "You're in love with that boy?"

My mind flashed back to the previous morning. Opening my eyes to Naruto's blonde hair shimmering and looking almost white in the bright morning sunlight. He grinned down at me.

"_Good-morning, Sasuke."_

I wanted to be lost forever in those crystal blue eyes. I wanted to wake up to his voice everyday for the rest of my life. I just wanted...him.

"So what if I am?" I asked him. "No matter what, you're going to die here. Tonight. So stop your stupid word games and stop trying to fuck with my head!"

He raised his arms in surrender.

"Do what you want, Sasuke." He said. "You're a man now, right? Go on ahead."

He picked his cigar off the table and stuck it in his mouth, taking a final drawl.

"I'm...dead already." He lamented. "As far as I'm concerned... I died... A long time ago..."

I cocked the gun, bracing myself for the loud shock of gunfire. His cigar hit the floor. A single phrase went through my head: _"Yes, yes, those eyes... Right now, staring me down. You're the one that will spill blood if you have to. You're ruthless, desperate, driven... Just like I am."_

Naruto

*Pleading*

I had my Beats by Dre headphones on jamming the entire world out while I was on the bus. I had taken Killer Bee's car back to him. Mostly because I was worried Sasuke's crazy ass Uncle was going to take down the plates and mess it up somehow.

"Are you alright, yo?" Killer Bee asked. "Is something wrong, bro?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said.

"Where's Sasuke?" he asked me.

I made a face.

"Worried about your rap buddy?" I asked him.

"No, I just thought... He's your best friend, right?"

_Best friend?_

"I just hung out with him this weekend." I said, offhandedly.

"You guys have such good chemistry, I just thought you were tight. You know?"

_Chemistry?_

That kept my brain busy for the rest of the day. I wondered if everyone had begun seeing Sasuke and I as a packaged deal.

_It's just been...what?...four days now? And yet... I can't imagine life without you..._

My memory flashed back to holding Sasuke to my chest. We weren't speaking. Just being there for him any way I could was enough to me. It was darkening outside. I was stroking his hair. I didn't know when he'd fallen asleep but I knew he was sleeping by his deep breathing.

"Itachi's room..." he mumbled. "Mom... Dad... I'm in Itachi's room..."

He stirred momentarily and then went back to sleep.

When I heard his Uncle re-enter the house, I decided it was a good time to leave. I borrowed one of Sasuke's white t-shirts and a pair of his gray converse. I kissed him softly on the forehead before I walked out into the hallway and descended the stairs. It looked like his uncle and friends were starting a card game. They all looked up at me as I made my way toward the front door.

"Yo!" one of them said.

His face was scarred pretty badly, almost melted looking.

"I hear you finally came out of the closet."

Everyone at the table snickered. I rolled my eyes and grabbed the doorknob.

"Naruto, right?"

I turned again. This time it was Madara speaking.

"I'd be more cautious if I were you." He told me. "Coming clean is a great idea... Unless of course, it's safer to deal in the shadows..."

_That guy really gives me the creeps..._

My bus stopped almost right in front of my house. As I walked up the sidewalk, I only had one thing on my mind.

"Tsunade?"

She was sitting at the table in front of a box of pizza, flipping through a packet of white paper. She glanced up at me.

"I'm busy." She said.

"I need a favor."

"Not now."

I slammed my hand down on the table.

"Tsunade... This is a once in a life time thing, okay?" I said slowly. "I really, really need a favor."

She slowly looked up at me, pulling the back of the pen she was gnawing on out of her mouth.

"If it's about Konohamaru-"

"It's not about Kono." I said. "It's about...Sasuke."

"That boy you keep bringing in this house?" she asked. "What about him?"

I sighed, trying to choose my words carefully.

"He needs help." I told her.

I vaguely heard the front door open and close.

"Help him with what? Isn't he grown like you?" she asked, lowering her eyes back to the paper.

"Yeah but..."

I wasn't sure if it would be alright with Sasuke to tell anyone else the truth about his bruises.

"I want to know if he can stay here...with us." I said.

"Hell no." she asked. "He's already been living here this entire weekend without my approval and now you dare ask me if he can stay full-time?"

"But-"

"No." she said. "I'm already busting my ass enough taking care of two orphans. I don't need a third...and without state compensation. Do I look like I'm made of money?"

"This has nothing to do with money!" I shouted.

She flipped a page of the packet tersely. I balled my fists.

The image of Sasuke's face as he hid me in the closet came back to me at full force, jarring me again. I imagined how hard it must have been for him... Sitting there in his room all alone as a kid, or even then as a teen, and hearing that door open and knowing what was about to happen. But also knowing that there would be no heroes, no one coming to save him...and then grabbing that blanket his mother gave him... I couldn't take it anymore.

"He's hurting him..." I mumbled.

Tsunade slowly looked up at me from the top of the paper.

"What?"

"His Uncle hits him." I confessed. "Really bad, too. It's serious, Tsunade. He can't stay there anymore."

"So, that's who kicked his ass?"

I whirled around. Konohamaru stood there with a Mountain Dew in his hand, sipping out of the can.

"Well, it doesn't matter much now." Kono said, shrugging. "Sasuke's going to finish it."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Finish what?" I asked.

"He borrowed Hannabi's pistol." He said. "He's gonna blow that bastard away."

The color drained out of my face.

"...What?" I said.

"He has the right idea, man." Kono said, noticing my reluctance. "If it really was his own bitchass Uncle, that's fucked up. He's getting what's coming to him."

"Konohamaru, don't you dare bring that spoiled talk into this house." Tsunade said. "Stop pretending to be some pint-sized thug."

"I didn't say _I_ gave him the gun, did I?" he asked.

"But you gave him the connection, didn't you?" I asked him.

He shrugged.

"He deserves to defend himself."

"He deserves a safe place to stay!" I shouted.

I turned on Tsunade.

"Please!" I begged her. "Please say yes."

She swept her bangs out of her head.

"I only have the resources for two kids." She said, holding up the paperwork in her hand. "And I was just signing the forms for Konohamaru's permanent residency with us."

Konohamaru's mouth dropped open.

"My...what?" he asked.

I was shocked too.

_Isn't she too much of an asshole to do something that kind? _

"You're adopted now." She said airily. "Congratulations. Now you can stop being a pain in the ass."

_I really am happy for that... The entire reason Kono's so unstable is because his life is so unpredictable... He could be moved to another home at any second... But now... Now he's actually..._

I shook my head. I didn't have time to think about the good news. I still had something to take care of.

"Naruto."

I turned. Tsunade looked at me.

"You can bring him here tonight." She said.

I saw something in her eyes, a bit of remorse.

"But that's all I can promise you."

I nodded gratefully.

"It's enough. Thank you."

_I'll make sure it's enough. I'll fix everything so that it's enough._

I walked past Konohamaru who was still standing there looking shell shocked and punched him in the shoulder.

"Now you get it, don't you, Kono?" I said, pulling my hoodie over my head. "Life isn't all about running the streets and blowing people off and getting revenge. It's about..."

I grabbed the doorknob.

"Love." I told him.

He glanced back at me as I pulled the door open then he hung his head.

"Can I...look at the papers?" I heard him ask Tsunade.

"Of course." She said.

I closed the door behind me realizing for certain that no matter how dysfunctional and irrational they both were... They were my family and I'd give my life for them if I had to.

I turned on my heel and fled into the night wishing I hadn't given Killer Bee his car back.

*WillPower*

I was running down the street as fast as my legs could take me. My navy blue mesh shorts flapped against my thighs. I was planning to jump the fence of his gated neighborhood and run directly for the house directly to the back but I was intercepted... Actually, it was more like a collision. I was so bent on getting there. I ran head-first into someone else on the sidewalk. I fell backward onto my butt. My dark green hood fell backward off my head. My eyes locked on the black and silver weapon in his hand and my heart skipped a beat. But then I looked up at the face...and the person looked down at me.

"S-Sasuke?"

A couple of droplets fell to the concrete between my legs. I heard thunder in the distance. He reached down, holding his hand out to me. I grabbed it and he helped me to my feet. A couple of rain droplets fell to the ground mixing in with the first few drops. My eyes zeroed in on his face. His eyelashes were glistening. His bottom lip had a slight tremor to it.

"Sasuke... You... Did you...?"

He shook his head and walked past me. I sped up, too, falling into step next to him.

"Come on, talk to me." I said nudging him.

But he wouldn't even look at me, let alone respond.

"I'll...wait, then." I finally said.

We continued walking. There was an overpass that we walked under, shading us from the rain when it really started getting bad. I wrung out my damp hair. Sasuke slid down into a seated position. The cars flew over us on the overpass. The rain always calmed me. I lay next to him on the ground with my eyes closed, listening to the rumble of the thunder.

"I didn't do it." He finally said.

I opened my eyes slowly. He was looking down at me. I pulled myself up into a sitting position.

"No?"

He shook his head.

"He kept saying I was like him." He said, strangely covering his ears with his hands. "I... I don't want to be like him."

"You're not like him."

"But I used you." He pointed out.

I bent my head.

"I was just using you for scholarships. That's the entire reason why..." he trailed off.

_Why we ended up together in the first place?_

"But you... aren't using me anymore are you?"

He stared at the concrete, gripping his hair.

"Naruto... I..." he whispered. "I don't know anything anymore..."

My eyes widened.

"It wasn't my brother who started the fire. It was them... All of them... It was all a part of their sick twisted bullshit." He said. "And... I wasn't even supposed to be alive in all this. They planned for me to die in the house fire, too, but...Itachi told the fire fighters where I was."

I recalled him sleep talking.

_Itachi's room..._

"And the reason my brother hasn't ever come back is because they threatened him..." he said. "They said if he did, they'd hurt me."

He swallowed.

"It's all some stupid scheme so that he can stay rich and powerful and in control of the corporation but... In my parents will, Itachi and I are the ones... We're supposed to..."

He swallowed again.

"And this is the same bastard I couldn't kill..." he said.

"It's fine, Sasuke." I said. "Killing him would make you more like him, right?"

He nodded slowly but I could see the uncertainty in his eyes. It was like he was in a black hole and he couldn't find his way out.

"I don't even know... who I am..." he said quietly.

"You're Sasuke." I said. "The valedictorian of NorthSide High, the captain of more clubs than I can count, National Honors Society member, straight A student, most likely to succeed..."

"But what does any of that mean in the grand scheme of things?" he asked. "Letters on paper..."

"Well... More importantly than all that, you're my closest friend now, Sasuke." I said. "Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

He slowly looked at me.

"What if I did something..." he said quietly.

He looked at the gun in his hand objectively.

"Something that made you want to go along with killing me?"

_Does he mean...the gun? Did he get it from Kono's friends?_

"You were depressed." I said. "I know if you weren't hurting like you are, you wouldn't have done that."

In the distance, I heard the low rumbling of thunder. Sasuke slowly turned his dejected eyes onto me.

"Naruto, do you love me?"

Strangely, I felt my face turn red. I looked away from him.

"What the hell kind of question is that?" I muttered.

"Because... You'd only be able to forgive someone you love for hurting someone else you love." He said.

I played with my fingers.

"If I told you I loved you... Would that... Be enough?" I asked. "Enough for you to hold on to right now?"

He smiled softly. The soft pitter-patter of rain-fall sounded around us. I felt a cool breeze whip through the overpass, lifting my hair off the back of my neck.

"It'd be enough for me to hold onto for a lifetime." He said.

I reached for him, tilted his chin and leaned into him. He put his palms of the ground behind him stabilizing both of us as I kissed him for a long moment.

"Then... I love you, Sasuke." I whispered.

I could feel him trembling slightly against me. I wasn't sure if it was the cold rain or...something else. His hand slid around my back, pulling me back to him. We kissed again. Ignoring the uncertainty of the worlds falling down around us. Because there was still us.

*Police Call*

I sat on the edge of my bed. My lamp gave my room a dim yellowish hue. Sasuke lay behind me, sleeping again. I played with his LG Optimus cell phone in my hands. I kept turning his camera on and off.

_What am I doing?_

Sasuke stirred slightly.

"Naruto..." I heard him mumble.

I turned around but he was still sleeping.

I flipped his phone from one hand to the other.

_Is this really a good idea?_

I stared at his face, bruised and battered looking. He really looked like a train wreck. I couldn't think of anything to do.

_There's no other options..._

I leaned over him, carefully positioning his phone to take a clear shot of his face. Sasuke remained still. I sat back down on the edge of the bed and flipped through his contacts to arrive at his most frequently called one.

Sasuke told me there was a deal... Itachi would stay away from him if Madara didn't hurt him. Madara, being the asshole he was, probably only hit Sasuke simply because he didn't like being restricted by someone else's rules. And Sasuke probably never fought back or told anyone because he knew it wouldn't do anything. He thought he was just too powerful.

I began composing a message to Itachi and attached the picture to it.

"Deal's Off. Save Sasuke, ASAP." I texted.

My finger lingered over the send button.

"_Do you think... if he knew about what that bastard does to you, he'd come get you?"_

"_I don't know."_

He'll come. He has to. I hit the send button. The screen swirled for a second and then the message folded up and pretended to shoot off like a rocket.

"Hopefully, that's enough..."

I jumped to my feet as the door swung open.

"Am I interrupting anything?" she said, looking at me suspiciously.

I rolled my eyes.

"What the hell_ could_ you be interrupting?"

Tsunade smirked as she walked in.

"I have no idea what you do with your friends." She said.

She set some bottles and cotton down on the nightstand.

"Sleeping already?"

I nodded.

"He had a rough day."

"Looks like it." She commented. "Damn..."

"Where's Kono?" I asked.

She poured some Witch Hazel onto a cotton ball and began dabbing at Sasuke's face.

"In his room." She said. "He might've gone to sleep. After he read those papers, he got really quiet."

I looked down at the carpet.

"Thank you, Tsunade." I finally said. "For...both of them."

She rolled her eyes.

"Contrary to popular belief I'm not as much of a bitch as I come off to be." She said, then she looked down at my chest. "And I'm glad you're still wearing that necklace I gave you."

I laughed, tugging at the light blue crystal with my fingers.

"It was the first birthday present I ever got!" I reminded her. "It's special."

She stroked Sasuke's cheek tenderly.

"This boy's so handsome." She said, absentmindedly.

I rolled my eyes.

_It's even hard for _her_ not to fall for that guy... It's like he has hypnotizing powers._

"If there's anything I hate more than authority figures, it's assholes who abuse their kids." She muttered. "I hope that guy rots in jail."

Something sounded slightly off about what she said. She pulled an ice pack out of her bag and held it to Sasuke's head, probably trying to get the swelling down.

"Yeah, well... He won't..." I said carefully. "It's not like anyone called the police or anything..."

She looked up at me with hard, cold eyes.

"Naruto, you really think I didn't call the police?"

_Shit!_

"Tsunade!" I exclaimed.

"Shhh!" she said fiercely, holding her finger to her lips.

We both looked at Sasuke's face. Either he was a really good faker or he was knocked the fuck out.

"It goes against the moral medical code to see something like that and not report it."

"You haven't been a doctor in years." I reminded her.

"But that doesn't mean I never _was_ a doctor." She pointed out.

I grabbed my hair and walked back and forth. I wanted to shout so many insults at her but I held my tongue.

"You're _so_ lucky Sasuke's sleeping." I whispered fiercely. "It was supposed to be a secret."

"Yeah, maybe for kids. But I'm the adult."

I sighed exaggeratedly.

"What did they say?"

"They said they would go to the house and check it out." She said. "But the law usually sides with kids on these kinds of things. Even if they don't find anything, they'll probably still take him away from that guy."

"_Better the devil I knew than the devil I didn't know..."_

"But they're just going to put him in foster care." I protested. "He's just going to end up like me and Kono."

"Better that than getting his ass handed to him all day."

"We don't know that." I said, then I lowered my voice. "I told his brother. His brother should be coming to help him. Not anyone else."

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, his brother, huh? Well, now I'll _really_ call the whole thing off!" she said, words dripping with sarcasm.

I glared at her and she sighed.

"This way, he'll have _extra _help... Help with authority." And she looked at me seriously. "And he won't have to go around asking little kids for guns."

I leaned against my bedroom wall with my arms crossed. She continued patching some bandages and to his face and then she unbuttoned his shirt.

"This is _so_ bad." She mumbled.

I glanced over her shoulder and turned away. He looked worse than the first time I saw him.

"You don't know how powerful that guy is." I told her. "He'll twist everything around with his crazy word games, they won't be able to pin one thing on him."

"Then we'll keep trying until they do." She replied.

"You don't understand-"

"No, I think I do." She interrupted.

She paused and looked at me.

"Do you love him?"

I suddenly felt extremely hot.

"Why the hell are you asking me something like that?" I asked.

"Just answer the question."

"Uh... I... I mean..." I sighed, holding down my embarrassment. "Well... Yeah... I do."

"Okay, then it's clear what the right decision is." She said, collecting all of her medical supplies.

She got to her feet and walked over to me.

"Don't let your feelings for him cloud your judgment." She said. "What you _want_ isn't always what's best for the both of you."

I allowed her to pull my head down and kiss me on the forehead like she used to do when I was younger, then she walked out of the room. I sighed.

_When the hell did she become the advice giver anyway? _

Sasuke

*Police Station*

I woke up feeling a million times better than the last time I woke up. I sat up slowly, realizing that someone had treated my injuries. It was early morning. The dim light outside Naruto's window told me it was 4 or 5am. My eyes wandered around the dim room illuminated by a single lamp. His walls were painted orange and his bed sheets were orange and black. I wondered if orange was his favorite color. His desk, which was cluttered with all of his Blu Ray Dvds and PS3 video games and not actual school work, was black and all of his other dressers and room accessories were black, too. Just like he'd said before, he had no picture frames on the wall or any kind of photos at all of himself or his family. Finally, my eyes settled on him sleeping with his hands interlocked behind his head next to me. The crystal necklace he always wore fell to the left hanging off of his chest. I played with it in my fingers momentarily and then leaned down over him and kissed his lips softly.

"Mmmm." He moaned in his sleep.

I pulled back.

"Sa...suke." he mumbled.

_Worrying about me even in your sleep?_

I slowly got out of bed and left the room. I was surprised to see the kitchen light on. It sounded like someone was pouring a bowl of cereal.

"Konohamaru?"

He looked up behind the giant box of Apple Jacks and nodded at me.

"Hey."

"Why are you up so early?" I asked, grabbing a bowl.

"Same reason you are." He said. "Because I went to sleep at like 5pm."

"For what?" I asked.

He paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth.

"She's adopting me." he said.

"Congratulations." I said, pouring the milk. "Now you don't have an excuse to be an asshole."

"That's the thing though..." he said. "I just... I don't know if... This is a good idea."

I raised my eyebrows.

"It's just that..." he gripped his spoon. "I don't know if I _can_ be in a real family."

I scoffed.

"You're a human being, aren't you?" I asked. "You had a family before and now you have one again. It's the same thing."

"I lost my grandpa when I was seven." He said. "Ever since then it's just been..."

"All about you? Misery and woe? Chronicles of the self-centered misfit?" I asked. "Yeah, I get it, but you know something?"

He looked up at me.

"Any man can bitch and moan and feel sorry for himself and hate the world." I told him, swallowing my first bite of cereal. "But it takes a _real_ man...to love somebody."

He stared at me.

"You _do_ love Naruto and Tsunade, don't you?"

"Well... Yeah." He said.

"Then suck up all that pre-teen bullshit and try to be the best son and brother you can be." I said. "They just want you to try. No one's asking for the world."

_Somehow, I feel like a hypocrite..._

Konohamaru leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"You know..." He said. "I kinda get why Naruto likes you so much now."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Oh, really? Why?"

"Because at first, you seem like one of those stick up their asses, emo, nerd boys." He said, slurping his milk down. "...But then when people really get to know you, it turns out that you're more fucked up than any of us."

_Oh, thanks..._

He smiled but slowly, the smile faded and he looked at me seriously.

"So... Did you do it?"

I shook my head.

"I think Inari's story got to me." I responded.

He nodded understandingly.

"Inari seems like a really scary, tough guy but underneath he's the one that's scared." He told me. "Ever since he did that... He's never been the same."

He put his bowl in the sink and ran water into it.

"I think, deep down inside, he wishes he never did it. I think he hates himself for it. That's why he stopped talking and all after it happened." He looked back at me with those small, dark eyes. "I'm glad you didn't end up like him after all."

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

"Who the hell could that be at 4:54 in the morning?" he asked.

We both made our way to the front door and the person pounded harder.

"Hey!" Konohamaru screamed. "I'm coming!"

They pounded again. He unlocked the door and pulled it open roughly.

"You know, we have a doorbell, you ass-"

He stopped right in his tracks. Someone shined a bright flashlight into our eyes. Konohamaru backed up into me and then turned and hid behind me like some scared little kid. I shielded my eyes from the light.

"Can you turn that off, please?"

The person switched it off with a swift click. I looked up to see a woman with long black hair pulled into a ponytail and a man with a deep, jagged scars on his face standing at the door.

_They're..._

"Is Sasuke Uchiha here?" the man asked.

"You're speaking to him." I said.

"I'm Anko." The woman said, holding her hand out.

I reluctantly shook it.

"And this is Ibiki." She introduced him.

He didn't even hold his hand out. They both wore police uniforms and though Ibiki looked incredibly intimidating for absolutely no reason, Anko seemed to be trying her hardest to come off as the "good cop".

"We would just like to have a couple of words with you down at the station if you would be so kind." She said, motioning toward the police car out front.

I felt Konohamaru trembling behind me. Ibiki was trying hard to get a better look at his face.

"I'd rather not." I said, taking a step back and beginning to close the door.

Anko put her foot in the way and forced it back open.

"Oops." She said in mockingly apologetic. "Maybe I didn't explain it right."

Ibiki glared down at me.

"Sasuke Uchiha, we have a warrant for your arrest for armed assault and aggression." He said gruffly.

_...What?_

He pulled a pair of hand cuffs out of his belt.

"Turn around. Hands behind your head."

I was so shocked, I couldn't even look surprised. I turned around and faced Konohamaru. He stared at me with wide eyes.

"Naruto." I mouthed.

He nodded at me and ran back into the house.

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney..." Anko recited.

The hand cuffs snapped on my wrists. Ibiki turned me around roughly and pushed me out to the cop car. On an extremely late cue, my heart began beating rapidly.

_What the hell is going on?_

Anko pulled the door open. Ibiki shoved my head down, forcing me inside.

_This can't be right..._

I turned toward the house. Tsunade was running toward me but Anko and Ibiki intercepted her on her way over. She was yelling at them.

Anko raised her arms over her head in a "there's nothing I can do" way.

_Armed aggression and assault? _

Ibiki and Anko both turned around and pulled their respective car doors open.

_Could it be possible that?_

Ibiki revved the engine.

_...Madara reported me for threatening him with a gun?_

I looked back out toward the house. Tsunade was holding a finger up at me.

_Wait._

I nodded vigorously and as the car pulled off I could vividly see Naruto running out at full speed, eyes wide, expression torn, mouth open in a yell.

"Sasuke!"

The cop car pulled around the corner, washing them all out of view.

(Author's Note: Poor baby boy Sasuke's up to his neck in bad luck. Next time we'll see if Naruto can pull him out of it! And also, stay tuned for some VERY SPECIAL old/new character cameos! Follow the story to get first dibs!)


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto

You goin' to jail now.

"This is unbelievable." I said.

"Just relax..."

"This is unbe-fucking-lievable!"

"It's not as bad as it sounds"

"You're in _jail_!" I exclaimed.

Police officers, lawyers and guards were walking by like it was a normal day. Well, of course, it was a normal day to them but I couldn't fathom it. I couldn't fathom the situation.

"How did this even happen?"

He sighed.

"They brought me here, held me in a cell for like an hour, then took me out there in front of that judge, I pleaded not guilty, and now my bail is like 5,000 dollars."

"Dude... What the fuck!?" I exclaimed.

He shook his head and rose his hand to brush his hair out of his eyes but because the cuffs made the action nearly impossible.

_I'd never have imagined Sasuke looking like this... And yet..._

"How the hell are you so calm?" I whispered.

His eyes slowly locked on mine.

"Just because I look calm, doesn't mean..." he trailed off.

_Doesn't mean you're not falling to pieces on the inside? Yeah... Well, you were always a lot better at masking your emotions than I was._

I reached across the gray table we were sitting at and brushed his hair out of his eyes. My hand swept down to his cheek.

"Sasuke..." I whispered.

We gazed at each other.

_Right now, I just really, really want to..._

Suddenly, the door swung open and someone entered.

"Good Afternoon."

I jumped and whirled around. A guy with a navy blue scarf that he pulled over the bottom half of his face walked up. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a pair of skinny fit gray pants with red suspenders, and black loafers.

"Was I interrupting something?"

"Of course not." Sasuke said quickly.

"What the hell could you be interrupting?" I blurted out.

He cocked his head and smiled at us.

"I don't know what you kids do these days."

"That's completely inaccurate." Sasuke mumbled.

"Yeah...yeah...absolutely...wrong." I stammered.

We both made an extra obvious point to look away from each other. The man swept his pre-maturely gray, long hair back and held his hand out to me.

"Kakashi Hatake, defense attorney." He said.

I slowly shook his hand.

"So you're the guy who ended up getting Sasuke a 5,000 dollar bail toll." I said dully.

"Hmmm. Well, it could've been 15,000." He said. "That's what they're going for."

He plopped down in the seat next to me, put his briefcase on the table and snapped it open.

"Okay, Sasuke, here are the facts." He said.

He pulled some papers out.

"Your guardian is pressing charges against you for threatening him with a weapon and assaulting him."

"Assaulting him?" I asked.

"It's a lie." Sasuke said.

"Whether it's a lie or not, doesn't matter." Kakashi said, pushing a photo toward him. "He came to the police station looking like this."

I leaned over the table and my jaw almost hit the floor.

"No fucking way..."

His nose was bloody and he had a pretty nasty bruise over his eye.

"He looks like he got pistol whipped." I remarked.

Sasuke avoided my eyes. I fidgeted with my fingers.

_There's no way he did that... Even though he looks guilty as shit right now, I _know_ him. He _said_ he didn't do anything._

"And this isn't all. He constantly keeps his front door on surveillance." Kakashi pushed another photo across the table. "This is his most solid piece of evidence."

I leaned over the table and looked down. And clear as day, Sasuke was standing on the doorstep in the same black shirt, khaki slim fit jeans and black Converse that were lying on my bedroom floor. Sasuke continued avoiding my eyes. I slapped my palm to my face.

_Come on, Sasuke! What the hell?! Didn't Konohamaru tell you to never commit a crime without a mask on?! And even worse, you're wearing fucking khaki's!_

For the split second his eyes locked with mine, I could tell he was reading my mind. He dropped his head.

"Look, man. I know it looks bad but he didn't do anything." I said.

"Like I said before, it doesn't matter whether he did it or not. All that matters is how things _look_." He said. "Right now, we have a multi-billion dollar corporation on the line so a lot of people are going to be watching. Even now, Sasuke's face is on television being broadcasted on multiple channels with highlights; 'Punk teen kid assaults owner of Senju Uchiha Bank'."

He tapped his pen on the table and leaned back in his chair.

"But that's all bullshit!" I exclaimed, getting heated. "That asshole's beaten the shit out of Sasuke _way_ worse than that baby-ass bruise on his forehead."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows.

"Oh?"

Sasuke kicked me under the table. I glanced at him and his eyes pierced into mine angrily.

"Shut the fuck up." I knew he was thinking.

But it was far too late. Kakashi leaned over and looked Sasuke in the eyes seriously.

"Is that why your face looks like that?" he asked.

Sasuke glared at him but didn't response.

"It all makes sense now." He said, tapping his pen quicker. "That 911 call about a domestic violence issue at Madara's home... It wasn't about him, it was about _you._ Of course..."

It seemed like his brain was working a thousand miles an hour. He grabbed a note pad and began jotting his thoughts down.

"If we can confiscate that 911 call, pile up a couple good witnesses and document your injuries, we can probably plead for a counter-claim." He said. "How old are you?"

Sasuke stared at the table emotionlessly for a second and then moved his mouth.

"Sixteen."

"Perfect. You're still underage." Kakashi noted. "Everyone's going to flock to our side now. No one can turn down a good child abuse story."

"It's not a story." I said. "It's the truth, the reason Sasuke went there was to get him back for all the years he was tormenting him in that house."

Kakashi sighed.

"Okay. So what is this stor- I mean... the truth?" he asked.

"Madara's been doing this for a long time." I told him. "It's true that Sasuke did go there with a gun but he didn't hit him. Madara just made all that up. He's a crazy twisted guy. He turns your words all around and messes with your head."

Kakashi looked at Sasuke who kept his eyes on the table.

"Sasuke came back to my house and didn't bother him at all." I said. "He's just bitching because my guardian, Tsunade, made that 911 call to report Sasuke's injuries. That's probably why he's doing this, to cover his own ass."

Kakashi nodded.

"And... How do you know all this?"

"Well, first off, I saw him hit him with my own two eyes."

Kakashi's eyes widened.

"So you're a solid witness?" he asked.

_Uh..._

"Well, I guess so."

"This is getting better by the second." He said, clasping his hands together. "And your guardian made the call? Alright, she's a witness, too."

He made some more notes.

"Was there anyone else?" he asked. "Anyone that saw his injuries right after they happened?"

I shrugged.

"Just my twelve year old foster brother." I said.

Kakashi nodded vigorously.

"That makes three. Perfect." He looked up at us.

"Okay... That story was great! Really, it was... But... It's not the story we're going to tell."

_What?_

I glanced at Sasuke. His face remained drawn and blank.

"Instead, we're going to pretend like that wasn't even him on camera. You have the clothes he wore that night, right?"

I nodded slowly.

"Okay, get rid of them. That night never happened, he was never there."

_...What?_

"Luckily, Sasuke didn't speak in that clip so they can't use voice recognition. In this day in age, a similar looking kid isn't enough. If we say it's not him, they can't do anything. Also, let's cut your hair. That hairstyle is really the most identifying thing about you."

He jutted his pen out at Sasuke while he spoke.

"Do you still have the gun?" he asked us.

"Well... Actually, the gun belongs to a friend of my kid foster brother. That's how he got it." I confessed.

"Okaaaaaaay..." Kakashi said, baring his pen down on his notepad.

I could visibly see him crossing 'foster brother' off the witness list.

"Tell your brother's friend to wipe that gun down of any fingerprints, I could tell he wasn't wearing gloves. There's bound to be a lot of traces of him on it."

I discretely rolled my eyes.

_Really, Sasuke? Not even _one_ damn glove? Unbelievable..._

"So, our story will be that he's not guilty in any way shape or form of this crime at all. In fact, he wasn't even on the crime scene when it happened. You and your adopted mother will testify that Sasuke was at your house all night. It was rainy. No one would be able to say otherwise." He went on. "And then we'll counter-sue for child abuse charges to completely blow this case out of the water and strengthen your 'innocent, boy' look."

He continued marking up his notebook.

"And you're really lucky you're handsome, too. If we can get a panel of mostly or all female jurors, this case will be in the _bag_..." he said.

"You really think so?" I asked, smile finally breaking onto my face.

"Of course." He said, winking at me. "The media is the game changer in this kind of case. We can get them on our side easily if I feed them this domestic violence story. They _always_ make kids out to be angels against adults, even when it's not true. With their help, the whole country will be on your side."

I fist bumped him excitedly.

"Yeah! Home free!" I exclaimed.

"No."

The silence after that one syllable word was deafening. I turned to Sasuke. He'd finally raised his head and he looked at us both with hard eyes.

"I refuse." He clarified.

"What are you talking about, Sasuke?" I asked. "This is your way out."

"I'm not a liar." He said, then he narrowed his eyes. "And furthermore, I have no interest in laying out my personal situation to the entire world."

_Sasuke... Could it be that... You're...embarrassed?_

Before I could open my mouth, Kakashi beat me there.

"Oh?" he said, appraising him. "That tough, huh?"

Sasuke stared him down and said nothing. Kakashi nodded slowly, shifting a couple papers around.

"I was going to avoid telling you this as not to make you panic." he said, lifting a single sheet of paper. "But because you're deciding to be uncooperative, I have no choice."

He set the paper down in front of Sasuke. I leaned over to get a good look.

"I was lying when I said the surveillance camera was their most solid piece of evidence against you." He said. "Actually... That is."

_It's a drug test..._

"Sasuke... You were tested positive for cocaine and marijuana today." He said.

_...Wait... Marijuana I understand but...cocaine?_

I looked at Sasuke. He was avoiding my eyes again and like a lightning bolt, it hit me.

_No...No...No..._

"No..." I whispered. "No, Sasuke, you...didn't."

He pulled his shackled wrists off the table and leaned back in his chair, directing his eyes down at the table.

"You couldn't have..."

He didn't move. I felt the anger finally surging up in me but I used all the strength in my body to hold it back.

"Just look me in the eyes and tell me you didn't get it from him." I said.

He continued ignoring me, his silence spoke volumes.

_And that's what I hate about this guy the most... Can't even show one facial expression._

"You bastard!" I shouted at him, picking up a couple of Kakashi's papers and throwing them at him. "And you didn't even tell me!?"

He let the papers fall all over him and slowly, he let his eyes meet mine. They were just as dull and dark and usual but there was a hint of moistness there... Tears threatening to spill over. I clenched my fists and decided to leave.

_I can't be here anymore... I can't look at your sorry face anymore..._

But Kakashi put a hand on my shoulder before I could stand.

"I don't know what this is about." He said, looking at me seriously. "But it doesn't matter. You two must agree to this plan."

He picked up the single paper on the table I didn't throw which just so happened to be the drug test record.

"The prosecution has a copy of this and there's only one thing that this could be used for in an assault case." He said. "They're going to paint Sasuke in a bad light and make it look like he was way too strung out on drugs to think clearly and attacked his guardian unjustly."

He tapped his fingers on the table.

"If this gets out before we can feed our story to the media, it's game over. No one likes a drugie." He warned. "So... Unfortunately, you have no choice, Sasuke. Do you want to go to jail or do you want to go home?"

When Sasuke rose his head this time, the moistness was gone. He was determined.

"Home." He responded, then he shook his head. "But it's not like that story would be wrong... I _was_ way too strung out to think clearly. That's why I was there. If I was sane, I never would've dared to..."

_...Stand up against that asshole?_

His eyes wandered to the window. I sighed.

"I get it. I'll pass the story around. Can I go now?" I asked.

Kakashi held up his hand.

"One last thing first... Is there anything else I should know?"

The room was completely silent. We could've heard a pin drop. Sasuke locked eyes with mine.

"Anything that they could use against the both of you. Any surprises?"

Oddly, the word "closet" was floating around in my head. I discretely shook my head clear.

"No." we both said in unison.

I stood up and walked to the door without wasting another second but when my hand grabbed the knob. I paused and turned back. Sasuke was staring out of the window.

"I...told you not to do one thing." I said quietly. "Just one thing and that's what you decide to do?"

He turned to me. I shook my head, losing almost all respect for the empty shell sitting there in front of me.

_So desperate you would even use my brother? I excused the gun... But not this... Not this..._

"You really _are _like Madara."

*Sasuke*

World Spinning

(Play Punch Drunk on Black Mold by Absofacto)

The echo from the door Naruto slammed rumbled around my head for many minutes after he'd left. I felt something warm and went drip down my cheek. I wiped it away impatiently.

"There's some food in the café." Kakashi said quietly. "I passed it on my way here. I'll bring you some before you have to go back to your cell."

"Can I just go back now?" I asked.

"Well, it's not just the food. I have something else for you." He said. "I'll be right back."

I didn't want to hear anymore of the "story vs. truth" bullshit. I wasn't a lawyer. I wasn't someone who was bent on following rules and order. I wanted to get out of jail but I wasn't going to forsake myself in the process.

I put my head down on the table and directed my eyes to the window.

_How long will it be before I see the open sky again?_

I recalled one of the papers said my court date wouldn't be for another three weeks. I was supposed to stay in jail for all that time unless someone bailed me out.

_But who the hell is going to come up with 5,000 dollars?_

I was certain I was going to be stuck in there. Fed three square meals a day and locked up inside a tiny cell in a juvenile detention center for three weeks. I was supposed to be the one who made it. The one who was most likely to succeed and somehow, in just one weekend, the entire world turned on its head and I became the failure.

_Can I even look myself in the mirror?_

Suicide crossed my mind many, many times in that fifteen or twenty minute period Kakashi left me sitting there. My eyes flashed across the room a couple times looking for anything that could be used as a weapon and then I gave up. That's something a prison checks for on a daily basis. Unless I bite my tongue and bleed to death, I'm stuck here, shackled and wearing orange.

I wanted to blame Naruto. But at the same time, I wanted to thank him. I was glad. Glad I'd taken the chance to see what it would be like if I gave Madara a run for his money. I felt satisfied to see that split second of surrender when I admitted that I cared for Naruto and he raised his arms and took a step back. That split second that I was in control. It was like a drug all by itself. A good part of me wished I really did pistol whip him so I could've gone to jail with a smile on my face and done my time in the darkness with no worries.

The door swung open. I didn't sit up.

"While you were gone, I was thinking..." I muttered. "Maybe I should plead guilty and not even waste the time."

"I never thought I'd hear you giving up."

My eyes widened.

_That voice..._

"Is it really _that_ bad, Sasuke?"

I slowly lifted my head, eyes growing wider with each passing second.

"Itachi."

He stood there next to Kakashi in khaki slim fit pants, a red tie and a navy blue suit jacket. Kakashi smiled at me.

"I think you'll take that back once you hear the good news." He said.

Itachi nodded at me.

"Get up, I'm bailing you out."

And just like that, the world turned on its head again.

*Itachi*

My bail was set with a couple of conditions. One very sensible one was that I wasn't allowed to leave the city. Another very cruel one was house arrest. A weird device was tacked to my ankle to be set once I got to whatever destination Itachi was driving to.

I gazed out of the window. We hadn't spoken a word to each other since he bailed me out. Kakashi gave me the food from the café to go. There was a note on the food container.

"_Stay Strong. I will be visiting often."_

Initially, I assumed he was just an asshole attorney who cared about nothing but getting his money and winning the game but I was beginning to think that perhaps... Kakashi might actually have my best interests at heart.

"You're young so...it might be a bit difficult to understand but to succeed in life, you have to make bets on stocks that you control." Kakashi told me as we walked out. "Madara understands that... That's why he's winning."

_Betting on stocks I control? That basically just means I'm not betting at all because I already know the out-come. Of course a bitch like Madara would win in a game like that._

My mind flashed back to when I watched him play cards with Obito and the rest. Even though no one saw it, I could see the spare cards sitting plainly on his lap. He's a cheater. A snake. A coward who only wages a war if the odds are clearly in his favor. He doesn't even do his own bidding. He sends the rats like Obito and Kabuto out to do everything and sits on his ass counting his money.

_I should've pulled the trigger on him... I should've done it... I should've..._

"Sasuke."

I looked up. The car had stopped and I hadn't even noticed. Itachi wasn't looking at me but I could feel that his expression was that of...concern. I turned and grabbed the car door handle of his BMW but before I could get out he spoke.

"I know you didn't do it." He said quietly. "And I'm glad."

I paused momentarily but then I got out of the car and looked up at the medium-sized two story house in front of me. It definitely wasn't as big as Madara's Manor but it was bigger than Naruto's house.

"I thought you lived all the way across the country." I lamented.

"I do." He said, closing his car door and slipping his white rimmed sunglasses on.

I looked him over, standing there in his brown loafers and straightening his red tie and for a second, I could understand why Naruto was always picking on me for my "suit and tie" look. We Uchiha always look so damn put together.

"But it never hurts to have connections." He said.

I sighed and pulled my suitcase out of the car. Itachi sauntered over to the front door and knocked lightly. As he waited, I dragged my heavy suitcase out of the trunk, slammed it down and made my way over to him.

_This suitcase probably has all of the clothes I own... I wonder how Itachi managed to get them from Madara for me._

Someone unlocked the other side and quickly pulled the door open.

I saw his wide grin before anything else.

"You guys are early." He said.

He spread his arms out and hugged Itachi.

"Come on in."

I pulled the suitcase into a house with light brown wooden floors, spotless tan carpet in the living room and on the stairs and a nature themed kitchen.

"Hey, Sasuke. How's it going?" the man said, holding his hand out to me.

I nodded and shook it.

"And you are?"

"You know me!" he exclaimed. "I used to come over to your house all the time when we were kids. You know... I'm your Dad's cousin's kid."

I blinked at him. He laughed.

"Or you can just describe me as your brother's best friend." He flexed his eyebrows quickly. "Shisui, remember?"

My mind whisked back to a time when my legs were short and stubby and I had to stand on my toes just to grab a door handle.

"Hey, Itachi! Watch this one!" said a boy with a wide grin.

I was sitting on the pavement playing with a remote control motorcycle while Itachi played basketball with our distant cousin and also his best friend. The boy ran up to the basketball hoop that hung over out garage door, threw the ball at the backboard, jumped up, caught it in mid-air and then slammed it down. He jumped back down to the ground, fist pumping vigorously.

"Whoo Hoo!" he exclaimed. "Thirteen years old and _killin' _it,baby! Let's see you top _that_!"

Itachi, the coolest ten year old to ever play the sport of basketball, caught the ball, ran up to the rim, threw the ball at the backboard, jumped up, turned around in mid-air and then dunked it backwards. He hung on the rim for a second, just for extra dramatic effect, and then his feet hit the concrete.

"Wow! Itachi!" I exclaimed, running up to him. "You're _so _cool!"

Itachi patted my head and turned to Shisui.

"You were saying?" Itachi asked.

Shisui pulled his baseball cap further down over his curly black hair and rolled his eyes.

"Beginners luck." He protested.

Our laughter echoed in my mind. Shisui was very close to my family. He was always at our house during extended periods during the summer and for almost every holiday even though he used to live more than three hours away. But when I turned five, he stopped coming over as much. He had a close call when he was fifteen where he came over and we were playing at a large construction site and he fell off one of the top tiers and onto a couple rusty spikes. The Doctors said he was very lucky the spike went through his cheeks and not his eyes permanently blinding him. Ever since that day, his parents had been extremely over-protective. Even going as far as to not allow him to visit with his own cousins. But at the same time, it was also rather lucky... Two years later, our house burned down. And because it was Christmas Eve that day, he would've been there if it wasn't for that incident.

I lay on the bed Shisui had given me in the guest room looking up at the ceiling after unpacking all of my things. Because of the vents in the floor next to the bed, I could hear them speaking clearly.

"I just...can't believe something like this has been happening, all this time." I heard Itachi say.

"I warned you, 'Tachi." Shisui responded. "I knew that asshole would go back on his word. It's just like him to do something like this."

"Did you see his _face_?" Itachi asked. "I...could barely look at him. It's... It's all my fault."

_So that's why he hasn't made eye contact with me the entire time I've seen him..._

"It's not your fault. It's that bastards fault. He's the one that did this."

I rolled over in the bed and faced the wall. I could feel the monitor on my ankle, warm against my skin.

_No... You're right. It is your fault, Itachi. Why didn't you come back sooner?_

"How did you get the hint anyway?" Shisui asked.

_...Hint?_

"Someone took a picture of Sasuke's face while he was sleeping." Itachi told him. "As soon as I got it, I took the first train I could down here. Didn't know I would be spending 5 grand on bail though, I would've packed more."

They both laughed for a brief moment.

"So... Who sent it?" Shisui asked.

"Kakashi tells me Sasuke spent the previous night at the house of a boy who's very pivotal to this case." Itachi explained. "Naruto Uzumaki. Something tells me, he sent it."

I clutched the pillow.

_Naruto sent Itachi for me?_

"Pivotal? In what way?"

"He witnessed Madara hitting Sasuke first hand." Itachi said. "More than anyone involved, we need that boy to save him."

"I see." Shisui replied.

I pulled the covers over my head and curled up.

_Too bad I pissed him off and he'll never want to talk to me again. _

Itachi and Shisui moved onto more normal conversational topics like why neither of them were married yet. I closed my eyes tightly and tried to pretend that it was nine years ago and I was lying in my brother's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle bedsheets while Shisui and Itachi played video games and Mom baked cookies downstairs and Dad loosened his tie coming home from work.

All of it blew away like the wind and only one person was left. His back was to me but his blonde hair shimmered in the sunlight. Slowly, he turned, looked at me, shook his head and kept walking on. I wanted to run after him...but I stopped myself.

_Naruto... I won't blame you if you never come back to me again._

Naruto

*The Media*

The day Sasuke went to jail, I skipped school. The next day, I woke up to my doorbell being punched about a thousand times. I stumbled through the house, wiping my eyes and straightening my twisted gray shirt.

"Who's at the door?" Konohamaru asked, poking his head out of his room.

"I'm about to get it." I yawned.

The door bell continued ringing as Konohamaru followed me to the door.

"Alright, Alright, I'm coming! Damn it..."

I pulled the door open and was shocked to see more than a dozen people standing on my doorstep.

"What the hell?" I asked, shielding my eyes from the sunlight.

Kiba, along with the rest of my friends from school, the Southside kids, and even Killer Bee and his crew pushed their way into my house.

"We heard about what happened, man." Kankuro said.

I watched with wide eyes as they all crowded around my kitchen, taking seats at the stools next to the counter, posting up against the walls or plopping down in the sofa in my front room. I walked over to the island and pulled myself up to sit on the counter next to Konohamaru.

"It must've been rough." Choji agreed.

"So what the hell happened?" Karui asked.

I sighed.

"You guys are really all here for that?" I asked.

They all nodded seriously. I leaned back against the wall.

_This is the _last_ thing I want to think about..._

"On the news, they said Sasuke's Uncle's been beating the shit out of him!" Kiba exclaimed.

"Yeah, and that his Uncle's trying to press charges on him for assault!" Ino added.

"He should be the one with assault charges!" Sakura yelled. "How could he _do_ that to him?"

"They have pictures of Sasuke's all over the news." Hinata said. "He looks awful."

"I know! And then he has that _one _little bruise on his face, shit, if my Dad was kicking my ass, I'd do a lot worse to him than_ that_." Temari mumbled.

"Fuck Yeah." Konohamaru agreed, fist bumping Temari.

"We have to do something." Neji said.

"Like what?" Rock Lee asked. "Latest news is that he's on house arrest at an unidentified location."

I frowned. I'd also seen the news report about someone paying Sasuke's bail and moving him to a "secret" location. Half of me wondered why he didn't text me or call to tell me where he was. But then I remembered how I stormed out of his holding room.

_I'm still mad at you, you bastard..._

"Well... Why don't we raise money?" Sakura asked.

"What? Like a 'Free Sasuke' foundation?" Sai asked.

"He's already been bailed out, remember? There's no point." Shikamaru added.

"We can raise enough to pay whoever bailed him out." Sakura suggested. "It'd be like a thank you from all of us."

"The real question is, who bailed him out? And how much money was it?" Shino questioned.

_But still... I can't help but want to assist you in any way I can..._

I recalled storming out of the room and walking down the hallway. I was blinded by hurt and anger and barely realized it when I ran smack into someone else. The person wore a navy blue suit jacket and a red tie.

"My bad." I said.

Then I rose my eyes to their face... I stared at him, not being able to find words to speak.

"Do I...know you?" he asked.

The guy looked exactly like an older version of the little boy in all of Sasuke's family pictures. I knew immediately that he was...

"Uh... Sorry." I said, ducking my head and walking past him.

"Itachi. Sasuke's older brother." I told them. "And it was 5 grand."

"Shit!" Ino exclaimed.

"Well... There goes that plan." Omoi said.

The room went abuzz with talking. People were saying one thing and another.

"No." someone said loudly.

The talking spun to a minimum. Sakura clenched her fists.

"No." she repeated. "We can do it. We just need dedication and perseverance."

"Yeah, that, and a shitload of prayers." Kiba said.

"She's right." Hinata spoke up. "We _can _do it if we try."

"I guess... At Cloud State, we could do some break-dancing for money. During game season, street performers always get a lot." Karui suggested.

"At SouthSide, we could host a skate-park competition where people pay to enter." Gaara said. "That could get a bit, too."

"Yeah! And what if we throw another party at my sister's crib where people can pay to enter that, too!"

"And everyone loves a good car wash event." Ino said, grinning. "We could all chip in on that."

Suddenly, the room was loud with optimistic ideas instead of the negativity of before.

"I've been meaning to have a garage sale..."

"My Dad's been dying to get some help on selling a few of those used cars... He wouldn't mind if some of the proceeds went to this."

"I'll give a thousand bucks right now! Sasuke helped make my album go platinum, wow!"

"We could also do a bake sale at your skate-park thing, Gaara."

"Yeah! And we could sell lemonade at Karui's break-dancing event to attract more people!"

This is so strange. All these people... Break-dancers, Skate-boarders, Pot-heads, Party Animals, NorthSide, SouthSide, WestSide... They're all my friends. And I never thought they'd ever get along or see each other as one in the same. But now...because of Sasuke they're all...

"I didn't know Sasuke had this many friends." Konohamaru whispered, watching everyone with wide eyes. "This is incredible."

Friends? People who will do anything for you with nothing in return... People who...forgive.

_And now...you're making me feel guilty and you're not even here..._

"Are you guys all really serious about this?" I called out.

They all nodded.

"Sasuke's my homie, man." Kiba said.

"He's a beast at skateboarding, it'd be an asshole move not to help out." Temari responded.

"And I wish I could kick his Uncle in the balls for what he did." Ino added.

"He helped me come up with my last rap track." Killer Bee said. "I'll do anything for him and expect nothing back!"

"But there is one thing I'm curious about though." Shikamaru said.

I looked at him, cocking my head.

"There's one story out that Sasuke took a gun to his Uncle's head and tried to kill him. But...the Media screws things up all the time, so we can't really trust them. But you were there, Naruto, what _really_ happened?" he asked.

Everyone was silent. Konohamaru shifted next to me.

Kakashi's words came back to me, they swirled around in my head.

"_That never happened. Sasuke was never there."_

If we pass the lie around, Sasuke will be better off... But... Sasuke was the same guy who said he wasn't a liar.

They all waited for my response.

_Am.._.I_ a liar?_

I sighed.

"When we left the beach, we went to his house. I stayed the night there. Then his Uncle came home in the morning and beat the crap out of him. I saw the entire thing."

"See?!" Choji said. "Sasuke would never try to kill anyone!"

"Yeah, he seems too lazy for something like that." Temari joked.

"But..." I continued. "Later that day, he came back here... Met up with my dickhead kid brother, got strung out on coke, borrowed a gun and went back to his house."

It was so silent, I could hear my own breathing. Konohamaru hung his head.

"Wait a minute... He... He didn't really..." Sakura whispered.

"No, he didn't pistol whip him. But he did go there and threaten him. After that, he came back to my house and spent the night here. Nothing else happened."

"So, he _is _guilty of armed aggression." Shino mumbled.

I nodded.

"His lawyer, Kakashi, said we should just keep passing the story around that he never left my house that night and he never had a gun... But..." I looked up at them. "Sasuke says he's not a liar. He would've wanted you guys to know the truth."

"Wait... Sasuke does coke?" someone asked.

"He really had a gun?"

"Well, Naruto wasn't there... For all we know, he really _could've_ been so drugged up he hit that guy."

"If that's the case, they're _both_ guilty!"

"What if the whole child abuse thing is a lie?!"

I pressed my palms to my head. Suddenly, I just wanted them all to get out.

_What the hell have I done? Now, he's going to have absolutely no support._

Someone's feet hit the kitchen floor.

"Hey!"

Everyone quieted down for a bit. I lifted my head. Konohamaru was standing in front of me.

"I know it looks bad." He told them. "And I know no one was there except him and that bastard but I was the last one who saw Sasuke before it happened. And..."

He fidgeted with his fingers, and swept his brown hair back.

"The way he looked... It was like he was desperate. Like he didn't give a flying shit what happened to him after that as long as he finished that guy off."

_Kono... How the hell is that helping?!_

"So, he did it, then." Darui said.

Everyone began to nod.

"You weren't listening to me." Konohamaru spoke up. "I said...he looked like he didn't give a damn...as long as he finished him off. If that guy's still alive, it's obvious that Sasuke decided not to do it... Because, the way he was then, if he _had_ really gone through with it... This would be a murder case, not an assault case."

I cocked my head.

_That actually...makes sense._

"True." Kankuro agreed. "There's no way someone on coke could've held back."

"Right, a desperate person wouldn't have just pistol whipped him and ran... He had nothing to lose. It was either all or nothing for him, and he chose nothing." Konohamaru went on.

Suddenly, mob mentality was taking over. Everyone was beginning to believe the truth. Which was crazy, because the truth was incredibly skeptical. One by one, they all began to leave my house, still discussing ways to get Itachi his money back. Each one of them, on the way out, gave me some strangely uplifting words.

"I know how you feel, Naruto. It'll be okay." Choji said.

"Don't worry, man. We'll all pass around the story his attorney set down. Not many people are as understanding as we are." Kiba promised.

"Stay strong, Naruto. We'll all pray for him." Hinata told me.

"If you get a chance to see him, tell him I said hi, okay? And stop sulking." Ino said.

I stood next to the door, fist bumping people, giving out hugs and salutes.

_Just get the hell out of here..._

I was so confused. I still didn't know how I felt about him. Was I still angry about what he did? Or was I more worried about him than angry? I didn't know. I didn't even want to think about it.

"Hey, Naruto, before I forget, Iruka says because of Sasuke's situation he'll suspend your project date until next week but after that, he's gonna flunk you." Shikamaru said.

And just like that, real life blindsided me.

_I _still_ don't have time to waste..._

I turned around, planning to go to the shower and take a long hard soak in the tub but then someone yanked the back of my Family Guy pajama pants.

"What, Kono?"

"I want to talk to you."

"I'm listening." I said crossing my arms and turning around.

"Don't be mad at Sasuke, okay?"

"He's a grown ass dude, don't try and tell me it was all your idea or some bullshit."

"I wasn't. He did what he did. And he knows that. But that's the point..." he mumbled. "Can't people make mistakes?"

"Not mistakes that I clearly told them not to make."

"People do drugs because they're hurting." Konohamaru finally said, grabbing his jacket off the table. "And you pushing him away and being mad at him is only going to make him turn back to coke."

He walked to the front door, opened it and slammed it closed. I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes tightly.

_Is that true? Were you really hurting that badly?_

*Sasuke*

Questions and Answers

It's been a week since I've been on house arrest. I haven't seen or talked to anyone except Itachi and Shisui. Crazily enough, Itachi still had to work. He ended up getting a job with some of his friends from Akatsuki at a Web Design company called Pein. He stayed there trying to rake up enough experience and credentials to move up in the company and grab the C.E.O position. Even though the firm was small, it just so happened to have a sister branch in Konoha that he easily relocated to. The third day I spent there, I confronted him about some of the info Madara told me.

"Why couldn't you just tell me the real reason you stopped coming back?" I asked him over a Chikfilla sandwich at dinner.

He pulled his tie off and over his head then sighed.

"It's really a lot to explain, Sasuke..."

"Well, I've got three weeks to hear it." I said, tapping the monitor on my ankle.

Shisui looked from me to my brother, swept his black curly hair back and stood up.

"This seems like a private conversation."

"No, it's not. Stay." Itachi said, a bit too quickly.

Shisui raised his eyebrows and sat back down.

"Okay, then..."

"Sasuke, do you really think it was that easy?" Itachi asked. "If I had told you Madara was forcing me to stay away, you would've asked why, and then I would've had to tell you everything. Even the truth that we're both heirs to the Uchiha Senju banking firm and we both have more money than Oprah Winfrey locked up in a trust fund within a bank that Madara won't let me access."

I turned my eyes to the table.

"Sometimes, just remaining silent and trying to see through a problem alone is the best course of action."

_Really? Well, then I guess my little bit of information is mine alone also..._

Shisui drummed on the table.

"Really, Itachi?" he said. "Is that what I taught you?"

Itachi slowly looked at him.

"Even though Sasuke's just a kid, he had something you didn't, something you needed."

We all waited silently. Shisui crossed his arms and leaned back.

"Access to the inside of the manor. You were already communicating with him against Madara's order, it would've been a simple matter to tell Sasuke the truth and formulate a plan of action."

I raised my eyebrows.

_Was he always that sensible?_

It wasn't like Shisui was a C.E.O or a professor at a university or anything. He was an optometrist. He spent all day re-wiring old people's glasses and fitting pre-teens for green and blue tinted contacts. It was enough money to get this nice suburban cottage house but not even whimsically close to the amount of money Madara made...or even the amount of money in our trust funds for that matter.

"Your problem is that you trust no one." Shisui told him. "You can't live without trust. And you can't expect your little brother to respect you without trust either."

I'd never seen someone speak down to Itachi either. It was clear that, somewhere between then and the last time I saw him, he'd become like a mentor, an older brother figure, to Itachi.

Itachi said nothing.

"I know it means nothing to cry over spilled milk. You already made your choice." Shisui said, slipping his straw into his mouth momentarily to sip his Mountain Dew. "But it's not over. We still have some power to put that asshole behind bars for good. But to do that, we need everyone's whole hearted cooperation. No bullshit."

He looked at Itachi carefully in the eyes.

"Now... Is there anything else everyone should know?" he asked.

Itachi nodded and made eye contact with me. We held each other's gaze. His eyes went over every part of my face. Probably taking in the purple and black bruises on my cheek and eye that were still struggling to heal.

"Sasuke, I just want you to know how sorry I am that this happened to you." He said.

My mind reflected back on all the times I had needed him and he wasn't there. Sitting in my room after Madara or Obito took everything out on me, face bleeding, tears running down my face...calling him...and listening to the voicemail I had by then memorized with perfection being repeated back to me.

"_Hello, you've reached Itachi Uchiha, I'm unavailable at the moment..."_

I would dial again and again and again...

"_Itachi, please pick up this time... Please... Please..."_

But there was never an answer. Never. And the loneliness... And the emptiness... Those days with nothing to look forward to except dreamless sleep where I could pretend that by some miracle, I'd died. Could I really forgive him for all of that?

"I'm so sorry." He said again, reaching over and touching my hand.

My fists had been clenched and my shoulders were hunched but with that contact, I softened. Before my eyes, the man in a suit and tie sitting in front of me changed and I could see the fourteen year old boy that I adored from my youth. Smiling down at me, handing me a cookie and stroking my hair.

"_I love you, little brother."_

"I don't expect you to forgive me." he went on. "I was never there for you. I ended up only making your life worse. I just wanted you to know this-"

"It's alright." I interrupted.

He looked up at me. I shrugged, looking down at the table, tracing lines on the wood.

"I haven't forgotten all the times in my youth when you _were_ there for me."

My first steps, my first words, learning how to ride a bike, graduating kindergarten...

_But he was there for even more than that._

Playing sports with me, walking to my elementary school to pick me up, buying me gifts, teaching me addition and subtraction.

_And even just the little things..._

Letting me sleep in his bed when I was scared, telling me he liked a picture I drew, giving me a high five.

"You were always there." I told him. "And I know that you're always going to be here from now on, right? So..."

I finally looked back up at him.

"I forgive you."

Slowly, his eyes turned to mine. I pretended I didn't see the wetness there. Shisui had been flipping through his Nokia phone giving us the feeling of privacy we so desperately needed.

"But there's one thing I want to know." I brought up.

They both looked at me with curiosity.

"Did you start that fire?" I asked.

He seemed to be battling with himself, probably between telling the truth and lies again.

"...No." he finally said. "It wasn't me."

_...What?_

"Over the years, my mind's gone over what happened that night countless times. Baking cookies never could've created the explosion that allowed me to escape from the basement." He said. "But... I was a child. I thought that if I took the blame for it, it would solve problems. In the end, it just ended up creating more."

The light flickered over our heads. I balled up the napkin in my hand.

"You know who did it, don't you?" I asked.

"There's only one person it could've been." Itachi responded. "Obito suggested we bake cookies. He also suggested I get the milk from the refrigerator in the basement. That was how I ended up there."

Then he shook his head.

"But, Obito isn't intelligent enough to concoct a plan like that. And he had no real motive." He said. "So... It must've been Madara."

I stood up and pushed my chair in.

"That's all I wanted to know."

_Now it's certain... All of that was the truth... It was all a part of Madara's sick, twisted plot. _

"Sasuke."

I paused, my back to the both of them. It was Shisui calling me.

"...Did you know all this already?" he asked.

I chuckled, it was a sour, dark sounding laugh.

"Do you think I would be on trial for armed assault and aggression if I hadn't?" I asked.

*Connections*

Two weeks went by strangely easily. Each day, I gave up hope of ever seeing that idiots face again.

_But if I don't see his face one more time... At least one more time... _

Kakashi visited often, going over plans with Itachi, Shisui and I. I already agreed to lie. Kakashi was right. My situation was too problematic for the truth and news stations were already getting wind of the whole "cocaine addict" story that Madara was pushing. I was sure that it would only be a matter of time before most news stations stopped broadcasting cute little pictures of me when I was seven years old on the local baseball team and more recent ones of a depressed looking high school aged boy who didn't give a damn.

"Sasuke!"

That was Shisui's voice. But I didn't care. He often called on me just to get me out of bed. I was beginning to spend all day just lying in bed.

"Sasuke!"

That was Itachi's voice. I lifted my head, realizing it was probably serious. I staggered out of my dark room.

"Give me a second!"

I went to the bathroom, washed my face and winced at the sore spots. Washing my face, made the hair on my forehead damp, hanging over my eyes in slim little locks.

I took my time walking down the stairs with my hands stuffed into the pockets of my black and white striped Adidas sweat pants.

"What?" I said, entering the kitchen.

My eyes widened as I saw who was there.

"Uh..."

"Your friends decided to pay a visit." Shisui said. "I thought I'd surprise you."

_Everyone... You all..._

"Friends?" I repeated.

Gaara and his siblings, Kiba and the soccer team, Sakura and the girls, Killer Bee and his college friends.

_You guys all came...here...?_

"Surprise!" someone yelled out.

"You look blown out of your fucking mind!" someone that sounded like Kiba shouted.

"What are you guys doing here? How did you even...?"

Someone raised their hand. I watched as Kakashi pushed his way through over a dozen people and stood in front of me.

"I visit Naruto's house often." He said. "I just thought it'd be a nice surprise to pass some info onto them."

"We have the biggest surprise ever!" Sakura shouted.

"Yeah! SUPER Surprise!" Ino agreed.

Killer Bee pulled a check out of his pocket and handed it to me.

"That's five thousand K, you don't see that every day!" he declared.

I blinked at the check in my hand and shook my head.

"Wait... Wait... What for?" I asked.

"For whoever bailed you out!" Kankuro said.

"We wanted to thank them."

_That's..._

Someone pulled the check out of my hand swiftly.

"That's me." Itachi said, walking up from behind me.

"Okay, guys! Three...two...one..."

"THANK YOUUUUU!" everyone roared.

Itachi smiled and put his arm around my shoulders.

"I didn't know Sasuke had such kind friends."

"We would've bailed him out ourselves if you hadn't." Darui told him shrugging.

"Sasuke's the coolest." Choji agreed.

"A killer Skateboarder." Gaara mumbled.

"And a real gentleman." Temari added.

_You guys all really think that?_

"Okay, enough of this fruity crap, you guys are giving me diabetes." Kiba said raising his arms. "Hey! Pay attention! Get the food! I'm hungry as a bitch!"

People began moving around, coolers were pushed into the room, a big cake that read "SASUKE'S INNOCENT" was put on the table, and plates and plates of homecooked food were passed onto the island.

"Looks like I don't have to cook tonight." Shisui said shrugging.

Karui brought her portable DJ station in and Shino immediately got on it.

"This is insane." I muttered.

"Be thankful." Itachi said. "Not many people have this many friends to bail them out of jail."

_Friends, huh? _

"Hey, pass the dip!" Rock Lee yelled.

"Get up and get it yourself." Neji muttered.

_But all these guys wouldn't even know my name if it weren't for..._

My eyes widened. My gaze whipped across the room, back and forth, left and right. I pushed through the people.

"Kiba! Hey, Kiba!"

He turned with a chicken wing half in his mouth.

"Huh?"

"Where is he?"

Kiba raised his eyebrow.

"Who?"

I could've smacked him.

"Naruto." I said.

He shrugged.

"Beats me. I thought he was already here."

I looked around in all directions. So many people... But not one of them were...

"Sakura."

She turned and flew into my arms.

"Sasuke! I was so worried about you." She said, pushing her face into my shirt.

"Yeah, yeah, thanks. Uh... Naruto. Where is he?"

"Where's who?"

_You guys are really pissing me off..._

"Na-ru-to." I enunciated.

"Oh! Uh... Well... He was just here, wasn't he?"

"He was?!" I asked.

"Sakura, are you an idiot? That was back when we were at his house." Ino butted in.

I shook my head.

"Explain." I said directing my focus to Ino.

"We all showed up at Naruto's place like three hours ago to tell him we got the money. He was there with Kakashi. That was when Kakashi told us where to find you and Naruto suggested that we all come here with the money and throw you a surprise party."

"You mean... Naruto suggested this whole thing?" I asked.

Ino and Sakura nodded vigorously.

"We all went out to buy the food. I thought he'd be really anxious to get here and see you so no one asked him to go get anything." Ino said.

"Yeah, it's really weird that he's not here."

My heart began pounding. I didn't want to panic but it was already too late.

_Calm down, Sasuke... Just calm down... That guy's an idiot... He's probably just playing a prank._

But I found I couldn't catch my breath. I went all around, grabbing anyone I could.

"Has anyone seen him?"

"Where is he?"

"Where's Naruto?"

But everyone gave me the same damn answer.

"_He was at the house."_

"_I thought he was right behind us."_

"_...What? He's not here?"_

I was about to lose it. Suddenly, someone's hand clapped on my shoulder. I jumped and whirled around.

"Nar- I mean... Uh..." I muttered.

I stared down at Hinata who smiled bashfully at me.

"I know where he is."

My eyebrows popped up.

"Where!?"

"I texted him just now. He said he just realized he has a big math project due tomorrow. He's staying in to study." She said.

_Math project? Oh... Oh no... I completely forgot all about that... Damn it!_

"Did he say anything else?"

She shook her head.

_That project has his entire life hanging on the line... No wonder he's staying in... I don't blame him but..._

I glanced back at all the people in my house celebrating my bail money. I turned around and headed back toward the staircase.

_I can't help but feel like... That was an excuse just not to see me again._

Naruto

*Forgiveness*

(Play Atlas - ColdPlay)

I laughed, voice edging on hysteria.

"This is... Impossible."

Straight after school, everyone had come to my house excited about raising the 5 grand. I told them to all go throw a surprise "We Love You, Sasuke" party at his house for two reasons; one because I needed peace and quiet to study and two because... Well... I was too much of a jackass to go make him feel better and I was certain he was lonely and needed company. Then I got like a million texts all saying the same thing in different ways...

"_Sasuke's looking for you. Where are you?" _

"_Your bro's spazzin' man. Where you at?"_

"_The jail bird's worried about you. You coming?"_

I didn't reply to any of them. I gave Konohamaru my phone and told him not to even let me out of my room.

_I'm gonna figure this dimensions thing out if it kills me. _

It took seemingly forever. The sun was in the middle of the sky when I started, by the time I was done, the moon was about ready to set. My eyes felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. But... I was finally beginning to understand what Sasuke was trying to do.

"You were actually trying to _prove_ the existence of said dimensions using trigonometry." I mumbled. "You freaking asshole genius... This is _way _over the level of regular eleventh grade Algebra 2."

But I understood it, so it didn't bug me. I made a PowerPoint presentation and wrote a report that I then printed out.

"Done!" I shouted.

I glanced at the curtains to see the sky threatening to brighten.

"Nooooo." I moaned.

I grabbed my desk clock. 5:12am

"Ugh... Looks like shower time."

I took a long, warm shower. Parted my hair and smoothed it down which was better than the usual "I don't give a damn" style I sported. Especially for a presentation. Then, I found my nicest "Sasuke-esque" clothes. I ended up wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, a black button down short sleeved shirt and bright high-lighter orange Vans with black laces.

I rolled my eyes as I looked myself over in the mirror.

"I look like such a Sasuke." I muttered.

Slowly, I outstretched my hand...and touched my reflection.

_Okay... I'll admit it... I... I want to see him..._

I slipped all my books into my orange Jansport backpack, stuffed my USB into my jeans pocket and tucked my report into the outer pouch of my backpack. On the way to the front door, I grabbed a banana and a bottle of water.

"Leaving so early?"

I half turned and smiled.

"Oh, hey. Uh... Yeah."

Tsunade was sitting at the table all in the darkness. I didn't even notice her.

"You're forgetting something." She said.

She slid a small turquoise and red case onto the island. I smiled, picked up my iPhone 5 with the Angry Birds case and slipped it into my pocket.

"Thanks..." I said, grabbing the doorknob.

"Naruto."

I paused again in front of the door.

"I'm...really proud of you." She said, finally raising her hazel eyes to me. "I'm really impressed that you actually sat down and did all that work yourself."

"I'm impressed that you even noticed." I remarked.

She looked down and smiled softly.

"Naruto... I-"

"I know, I know, you're going to quit drinking and gambling. I know. You say it all the time."

"This time I mean it." She said.

"You always mean it, Tsunade." I retorted.

Silence filled the room. I felt no guilt. I honestly believed the more often I told her about herself the more easily she'd be able to change.

"You're going to see Sasuke, aren't you?" she asked. "That's why you're ready so early?"

I nodded.

"So... You've forgiven him?"

A dark expression crossed my face. One I couldn't control.

"Not really." I mumbled. "But..."

_But I can't stand staying away from him..._

"If my problem is addiction...yours is _trust_, Naruto."

I raised my eyebrows.

"You trust a bit too easily, you know? So easily that you end up expecting a bit too much out of people." She explained. "We're all human. We all try...really, _really_ hard. Don't you think?"

I lowered my eyes to the floor.

_It's hard to tell whether she's talking about Sasuke or herself..._

"Some of us are weak... Some of us can't handle things without help." She went on. "And we need these things like drinking or gambling or...cocaine just to help us get up in the morning."

I leaned back against the wall.

"But it's not good to rely on those things. Those things just end up using you up in the end." I told her.

"You're right. And that's why there are people like you. People that we need to help us back onto our feet so we don't reach for that next...bottle or buzz." She explained. "He... He needs you. Not an angry you or a disappointed you. He needs you to forgive... And help him get back up."

I clutched the banana in my hand.

"And... _I_ need you, too." She whispered.

I finally let my hand turn the doorknob.

"I understand. Thank you." I said.

"Naruto, I love you so much."

I nodded.

"I love you, too... _Mom_." I replied, closing the door shut behind me.

*The Last Time*

Killer Bee left me his Camaro again. I was certain he was leaving it with me for keeps.

"Got so many cars I don't know what to do." He told me. "So I brought the Orange Bug up here for you."

It was probably his way of making me feel better about everything. And driving up to the place where Kakashi told me Sasuke was staying using the built in GPS in the car and driving with my iPod jamming the speakers out did make me feel better. He was all the way out on the WestSide near the beach. I could smell the salt in the air as I pulled up.

I knocked on the door lightly, for the first time wondering why I decided to come there at barely 6 in the morning. But to my surprise, the door opened quickly.

"Good morning." Said a man with curly black hair that had an odd resemblance to Sasuke's older brother.

"Morning." I said, trying to peek over his shoulder. "Sasuke home?"

His expression quickly became guarded.

"Your name?" he asked.

"Naruto Uzumaki." I said. "I'm a...classmate."

I motioned to my backpack but he was already opening the door for me.

"So, _you're_ the famous Naruto I've been hearing so much about!" he said.

I glanced to the left to see Itachi coming to the front door, straightening a purple tie.

"I don't think he's awake, Shisui." Itachi said.

"So what?" Shisui asked him. Then he turned back to me. "Sasuke's basically been a motionless blob since the moment he realized you weren't at his party last night."

I raised my eyebrows. Shisui pulled my arm and basically shoved me toward the staircase.

"_Please_ go talk to him. I've never seen anyone _that_ depressed in my life." He declared.

Itachi shrugged.

"Well, we both have to head to work." He called to me. "Take good care of my brother for me."

As I ascended the stairs, they picked up their briefcases and wallets and strode out of the front door.

_Ugh... They didn't even tell me which room is his..._

But all the doors were open except one and I was pretty certain that with the way they were describing Sasuke, he'd most likely have his door closed. I went to knock but then at the last moment I decided to turn the knob instead. It was open.

(Keep Playing Atlas...lol)

I walked into a bedroom much smaller than the one Sasuke had at Madara's Manor. He lay curled up into a ball next to the wall. I quietly placed my backpack onto his desk and moved over to his bed.

His drawn window blinds gave the room a light blue hue. I bent over him and slid my hand into his hair.

"Sasuke..." I whispered.

He sighed and rolled over onto his back. He was shirtless. I realized it really had been a long time since I'd seen him. Almost a full three weeks... The bruises on his face were completely absent and the ones on his chest were barely visible. I sat down on the edge of the bed and lightly touched his cheek with the tips of my fingers.

He sighed again.

"Naruto..." he mumbled.

But his eyes didn't open. Staring at his face like that, I realized I had really, really been aching to go see him. I suddenly felt a rising sensation in my jeans. I couldn't help but allow my hand to travel down his chest. I forced myself to pull my hand away before I could do anything else.

"Sasuke... I really missed you." I found myself saying.

I fidgeted with my fingers.

"Honestly, I...I've been thinking about you every second of every day since I slammed that door." I confessed. "It's just that... People lie to me all the time. Ever since I was a kid and I grew up without parents, everyone's always been lying to me. But I guess..."

I let my head fall and covered my ears with my hands.

"I guess it's impossible for someone not to lie to you even once." I said.

"Do you really think I'm like Madara?"

I jumped and turned around. Sasuke was looking at me from his position on the bed. I shook my head.

"I was just being stupid. You were...feeling pain. Madara doesn't feel anything like that. He's barely human."

Sasuke slowly sat up.

"I didn't expect you to ever come back."

I lowered my head.

"I'm sorry I took so long."

I reached for my backpack and pulled out a bag from the front zipper. I tossed the bag to him and then I leaned over his head and opened his window. A fresh, cool scent of fall leaves and wet grass wafted into the room.

"I understand that it's hard for you." I told him, sitting back down. "But..."

Sasuke's eyes were wide, opening the bag. I could see his hastiness surfacing, his finger trembling as he took in the smell.

"This is the last time, okay?" I whispered, pulling the bag out of his hands.

Sasuke's eyes were locked on the pipe in my hand. I ran my hand through his hair.

"From now on, think of _me_ as your drug, okay? I'll...carry your pain for you." I promised him.

Then, he looked up at me, seemingly surprised. I lit the pipe with a lighter in my back pocket. I took a quick hit and passed it to him. He took a long drawl and blew it out. It was silent for a while as we passed it back and forth. I drew myself closer to him and allowed my lips to brush against his cheek and ear as he drew in the smoke. My hand caressed his bare chest.

_Ahhh, Sasuke... You don't even know how much I want to..._

"Naruto..."

I paused while I took the pipe from him.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I'll win the case?"

I smiled as my lips pressed against his neck.

"I asked Kakashi the same exact thing... And you know what he said?"

"Some bullshit about selling the story?" Sasuke asked.

I snickered.

"No... But that sounds more like him." I said.

I paused and pulled back to look him in the eyes.

"He said 'Friends Are Everything'."

Sasuke had a dull, unimpressed look on his face. He pulled the pipe out of my hand.

"What the hell does that have to do with what I just asked?"

I laughed.

"I asked him the same thing!" I said. "And he said that as long as _I_ care about you it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."

Sasuke almost choked on his smoke he was laughing so hard.

"That guy is as cryptic as ever..." he muttered.

"So basically you're screwed." I said, grinning.

He blew his remaining smoke out in my face.

"That's the last time I ever ask you a serious question."

I grinned but looked at him seriously.

"Want to know what I really think?" I asked him quietly.

"'Tch." He muttered. "No."

But he let me gently ease him back into a lying position on the bed. His hands rose and he began unbuttoning my shirt. I allowed it to fall to the floor next to me. I kicked my shoes off and lowered myself onto him.

"I think..." I whispered as I looked down into his eyes. "I'm in love with you."

He brought his hand up onto my neck and pulled me down. Our lips met.

_I really, really missed this too..._

Sasuke's hand lowered to my jeans. He unbuttoned them and slid his hand inside.

"I'm not even surprised anymore." He sneered.

I closed my eyes.

"Don't get full of yourself." I retorted.

I shuddered as his fingers curled around my hard-on. His free hand slowly rose to the crystal from the necklace hanging down over his face. I opened my eyes to see Sasuke gazing the crystal with an expression I couldn't decipher.

"Okay... I'll admit it..." He whispered, finally lifting his eyes to mine. "I'm in love with you, too."

(Author's Note: Stay Tuned for the FINAL part of this story next week! Will Sasuke win his court case? Will Naruto and Sasuke really stay together? You'll just have to wait and see...)


	8. Chapter 8

*The Big Day*

We continued on, excitement from our confessions feeding our actions. I leaned down onto him, getting us both ready. I wanted to push into him so bad, I skipped foreplay. Half of the reason was for time, too...

_I have to do this stupid presentation but I'm fine going all the way..._

I went into him, grasping his boner to get him off, too. I could feel the pressure building up in us both, we were almost there, at the breaking point. We came at the same time.

And that feeling, the feeling of ultimate high. It was like I could never come down. Definitely better than any weed Kankuro could ever get, or any Ollie I could ever land or any goal I could ever score. And experiencing it with another person, a person that you considered a friend, a best friend, but also a lover... Nothing else matched it. I wanted to stay there forever. I could've stayed there forever but-

"Naruto?"

"Huh?"

"Your...presentation?" Iruka Sensei said.

Everyone in the class was staring at me.

_Jeez... I've been riding on that high all morning, haven't I?_

I slowly got to my feet and made my way to the front of the classroom. Walking up there, I realized my shoe laces were untied. More evidence of how quickly I'd jumped out of Sasuke's bed, thrown my clothes back on and driven to school.

"And your project is?" he asked.

"Uh... A study on the eleven different dimensions using basic trigonometry." I said.

"Ooooooh!" cheered a couple of students.

"Go Yellow Flash!" someone else said.

"Alright... Alright... This isn't the soccer field, Naruto has to truly earn his respect in my classroom." Iruka told them. "So... Begin."

"Well... You know how there's like... Three dimensions, right?" I began. "Like uh, the first one is like this."

I drew a straight line.

"And the second one is like this."

Then I drew three extra lines to create a square.

"And the third one is this." I finished, drawing more lines to create a cube.

_So... So... What?_

My mind was drawing a blank, all the people staring at me. I couldn't find my words.

"So how does that connect to Algebra II or trigonometry?" asked Iruka, pushing me.

"Uhh..."

Suddenly, I could understand why Konohamaru opted for just punching the teacher in the face. It felt like it'd be a lot easier to just run away from the problem.

_But I'm not a child..._

My heart rate was speeding up. I never had trouble speaking until it came time for me to actually make sense. I gripped the report I'd written in my hand. But Iruka clearly told us not to simply read from a sheet of paper.

_Well, go on, you idiot._

I looked up. Everyone was just as silent as before. Why had it sounded like I'd just heard...?

_If you want to make it in time to my hearing, you need to focus._

Was I so desperate that I was beginning to hallucinate Sasuke's voice?

"Naruto?" Iruka said again.

I walked toward the board and picked up a blue marker.

_Dimensions four through eleven can't be proven without mathematical equations that rely heavily on quantum physics and quantum mechanics. _I imagined Sasuke saying to me.

_However, trigonometry and lower levels of math, such as Algebra, also prove these existences, too. _

My hand swept across the board.

_You're not as eloquent or prodigious as I am. But you're smart in your actions. Show them. Don't tell them._

I swiped a couple smudges out and then picked up a red marker and went on writing and solving equations under the heading; "Dimension 4" and "Dimension 11".

I could sense the class whispering.

"What's he writing?"

"That looks like a whole other language."

"Is that even math?"

Iruka Sensei walked back and forth behind me, peering over my shoulder, periodically nodding and taking notes.

_Don't forget... Your ticket to passing._

Right! I finished by drawing a long green marker line from my final equation to the words: SOHCAHTOA.

"All universes are connected by dimensions." I finished. "And you can prove these dimensions by studying the right triangle which relies heavily on that SOHCAHTOA formula which we learned right here in this class."

I turned and looked at them all.

"So, basically, we're all quantum physicists and we didn't even know it." I told them, a grin slowly spreading on my face.

Everyone in the class clapped, some people whooped. Iruka Sensei held his hands up, calming everyone down. He put his hands on his hips, studying me deeply.

"Well... I must say..."

The class was so silent, we could've heard ants crawl.

"I'm impressed, Naruto." He said, finally allowing me a smile. "If you just got up there and read from the paper or repeated some rehearsed lines, I would've believed that you were just copying Sasuke and failed you. But seeing you work out all these complex equations on your own... I mean, wow. You've earned your A."

He picked up a big red marker and drew a large "A" on the board over my work.

"You passed." He told me. "Congratulations."

The class began clapping again, probably because Iruka promised them that if I passed my presentation, they get to watch a comedy movie for the remainder of Math class. Everyone got out of their seats, nodding at me and saluting me. I felt like a huge weight had dropped from my shoulders. A weight I hadn't even realized I was carrying.

_I passed... I passed... I'm still on the team and I passed..._

But then something occurred to me, something that stopped my inner celebration short.

"Iruka, I'm sorry." I told him. "I have to leave early today, there's something-"

"I understand. You earned this day off, I'll sign your note."

_Yes!_

He took out a pen and signed an orange slip allowing me an early release. It was ten thirty in the morning. I only hoped I could make it across town to the court house by eleven.

"And tell Sasuke I said good luck." He said, fist bumping me before I ran out of the door.

Sasuke

*Courtroom Drama*

I sat down at the defense stand flipping my tie between my fingers. Itachi and Shisui had me wear a black suit for the hearing, not that I normally didn't dress formally.

_I should stop fidgeting, I'll just look guilty. _

My eyes locked on the door behind me.

_But...where the hell is that guy?_

"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked, glancing at me.

"Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

He smiled at me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"He just sent me a text message." Kakashi informed me. "He's in the parking lot."

I realized that my heart had been beating fast and it had since then slowed down. And, right on time, the door opened and Naruto rushed into the room. The clock turned to eleven. He'd just made it. He walked up the aisles past the rows of people coming to watch the trial and took the witness seat next to me. I gave him a curt nod. He grinned at me and whispered.

"I got an A!"

I smiled.

_Of course you did. You're actually not that stupid when you try._

"Please stand for the entry of the judge."

_And now it's time to see if I can pass._

We all stood up. The rest of it was just processing, being sure that everyone was in the right place.

"Sasuke Uchiha is charged with assault with a deadly weapon."

The way they said "assault" and "deadly weapon" made me feel like I was already a criminal. Somehow, I couldn't imagine myself ever going back to school and acing tests and going to National Honors Society events like I had. If I won, Madara would be gone forever... For the first time since everything started, I wondered where that would place me.

"The prosecution?" the judge asked.

He was a white haired man with small, squinty gray eyes and a seriously calm looking demeanor. His robe was long and royal blue. Madara's lawyer stood up. I had been avoiding looking over at him but at that moment I couldn't help it...and his eyes were shining back at mine maliciously.

"Mr. Genma Shiranui?"

The man with a light gray suit with a turquoise shirt and tie stood up.

"The accused was at the Uchiha Manor at 7pm October 17th armed with a deadly weapon with the intent to use it to murder my victim here, Madara Uchiha, the owner of the Uchiha Senju banking firm." He said.

"Evidence?"

Genma nodded to an officer who pulled a screen down and showed a small video. The same video that Kakashi had warned us about. I stood there in my khaki's with my insanely unique hairstyle and what seemed to be a small black object in my right hand. The crowd murmured. Naruto rubbed his hands together nervously next to me.

"May I interject?" Kakashi asked.

"Approved." The white haired Judge said.

Kakashi turned toward the jury, a panel of four women and two men, since the other side had to agree on the jury selection, also, we weren't able to select a fully female panel.

"I'm sure you all have or know someone that has teenage sons at home." He said, walking toward them. "And what kind of style of dress do those boys sport?"

He was silent for a moment.

"Dark colors, right? Navy blue t-shirts, black hoodies, dark gray jackets. It's like a trend for them at that age." He said. "There's no way to prove that the boy in that video is the same boy sitting in front of you now. I assure you that he's just an average boy. If there's anything distinguishing about him, it's his academic records which placed him as the valedictorian of his year and his admission into the National Honors Society. This boy is not a criminal and has never had one malicious thought in his life."

The jurors' eyes traveled over to me. Suddenly, it became obvious to me why Kakashi insisted I wear a lavender shirt and tie... It made me seen overwhelmingly innocent and pure.

Genma pulled a toothpick out of his pocket and place it into his mouth, unprofessionally munching on the end.

"Sure, Sasuke may have high marks in school and an IQ score that could place him in the genius range, but that is not where his personality ends."

He pulled a couple of sheets of paper off of his desk and handed them to the policemen who then handed them to the adults on the jury panel.

"Those are records of the substances in Sasuke's bloodstream the day he was picked up and checked into the police station."

Naruto glanced at me. I kept my expression completely stoic. If there was anything I was good at, it was looking unimpressed.

The jurors' eyes flicked over the verbose information quickly, most likely stumped by the long paragraphs of information.

"Those records show that Sasuke had cocaine and marijuana, two illegal drugs, in his bloodstream that are dated to have entered his system around the same time Madara was assaulted." He told them. "That doesn't seem too coincidental."

The entire courtroom was silent.

"Do you have a defense, Mr. Hatake?" the Judge asked.

"Those tests that they run to see when the drugs entered the bloodstream are not foolproof. It is a very newborn and faulty technology." Kakashi said, pulling out a few papers of his own. "Let's just be real about this. Teenagers experiment. Even though his decision was largely misguided, it has nothing to do with this case. Everyone in this court room has either tried something like that before or they know someone who has tried it. It's not uncommon."

He passed the papers to the officer.

"But there's no way to tell for certain that Sasuke took drugs that afternoon then went to harm his guardian that night." Kakashi said. "The presence of drugs is beside the point if it can't be proven."

"The tests have a 65% accuracy rate." Gemna pointed out.

"Yeah, the same number as the 'Crime Rate' in this city, but as we all know crime still happens. Or else we wouldn't be here." Kakashi countered.

"It's up to you to determine whether the facts placed in front you have any relative meaning." Genma said, turning back to the jury. "But my point is the defense has been making Sasuke Uchiha out to be this saint of a boy, when in reality, he's a normal person, with good and bad sides."

Genma stepped back and used a remote to change the picture on the screen. The picture flicked from a fuzzy photo of a boy in a black shirt and khaki pants with an even fuzzier black thing in his hand to a clear video of a boy in khaki's and a red plaid button down about to drop off the edge of a halfpipe.

My heart dropped. The video began playing showing me successfully doing a 720 in the half pipe. Genma paused when I stopped in the middle of the pipe and Naruto ran into the camera, hugging me and knocking me off my feet. He rewound it to a part where my face and body were clearly in the camera.

"You might look at this video and say 'So, what? He skateboards' but look at the time and date at the corner of this video.

"Shit." Naruto whispered.

_Leave it to Temari to leave incriminating evidence like that..._

"It's 9:14am on a Thursday morning. NorthSide Konoha High School, the school that Sasuke attends, has its bell call at 8am." Gunma said. "And that's not the first time he's skipped school. He's also here..."

The video changed and was replaced by a dark bluish black shot of an empty dance floor, slowly dancers came up, battling against each other.

Naruto glanced at me.

_The Dance Battle at Killer Bee's Studio..._

The camera just so happened to pan to the upper right, the user was most likely just checking the battery life or removing a cord, but the action showed me there clearly watching the dancers with Naruto.

"And that was at 12:30pm the following day, again, he skipped school."

"I object!" Kakashi spoke out. "This information is completely secondary, only circumstantial evidence, there's nothing solid here."

"Objection denied, Mr. Hatake." The Judge ordered. "Continue Genma."

Genma flicked the toothpick to either side of his mouth as he pulled a couple papers out of his file.

"Okay, let's just say all that is pointless. It's not a federal crime to skip school afterall..." he told the courtroom. "But this is..."

He used the remote to change the picture on the screen.

"His DNA was found on a totaled car in the abandoned wasteland off route 132." He told the courtroom.

Pictures of the car Naruto had totaled flashed across the screen with policemen picking around it.

"We found strands of hair that matched his and his fingerprints, showing that he participated in an illegal drag racing tournament and then fled from the police that night."

I could feel my blood running cold.

_This is a nightmare... It has to be..._

"So, there you have it." Genma said.

All the pictures came back onto the screen, stitching themselves together neatly to form one big collage of my weekend of errors.

"The boy sitting in that chair there is fully capable of breaking laws and rules just like a regular person. He does hard-core, illegal drugs and participates in illegal activities with his friends." He said, stressing the word "illegal". "And he has no remorse for any of the people or things he hurts in the process, as seen by that abandoned car."

The jurors were all taking notes. Kakashi was speechless. He didn't look at any of us, instead he stood next to me, his brow furrowing. It was clear he had no idea what to say or do. Their possession of that information was very unexpected.

"Now, I'm not saying that Sasuke Uchiha is a criminal." Gunma finished. "But he is an imperfect boy. An imperfect boy that could've easily have acquired a gun, just as easily as he acquired illegal drugs, and assaulted his guardian, whether it was under the influence or not."

_I'm finished... His case is foolproof. It's all over._

Something rattled next to me. I looked to see Naruto on his feet. His right hand was raised high in the air.

"Can I say something sir?"

The Judge cocked his head.

"In regards to?"

"Sasuke's defense." He told him.

The Judge glanced at Kakashi who looked shell shocked.

"Approved." He agreed. "Come forward."

"Okay..." he said, stepped out from behind the stand.

He turned around and faced everyone. I glanced at Madara who seemed in no way concerned that the only witness against him was about to speak.

_What is he planning?_

"I know it all looks bad." He said, looking at the jurors. "I know it all looks like Sasuke's a bad guy who makes poor decisions but it's not true. He's actually...the best decision maker you'd ever meet in your life."

My eyes quickly shifted to Naruto.

"Sasuke started out as my tutor. All that stuff in the videos he showed you was just stupid stuff_ I_ made him do on the week he had to spend tutoring me. _I _was the one that totaled that car. Look for my DNA in the driver's seat, it'll be there. And even the drugs... It's all me. I was the one who made him try it. Sasuke wouldn't even be in this entire situation if it wasn't for me."

He sighed, and turned and looked at the judge.

"I'm impulsive and immature and...basically... I'm an idiot." He went on. "But Sasuke's really a straight A student who takes everything in his life serious. He's the one who's supposed to make it... The one who's supposed to become someone great later and really contribute to society. I'm not worth anything... I'm just on the soccer team."

I looked down at my hands, suddenly feeling very overwhelmed.

_No, you're not... You're much more than that._

"So, if anyone should be judged for doing all that stuff, it's me." he said bowing his head. "Take me to jail in his place...if you want."

I looked up then, wide-eyed.

_You idiot... That's the last thing I'd want._

The entire courtroom was silent.

"Yes, Mr. Uchiha?" the Judge said.

My eyes flicked over to Madara who had slowly stood up. Naruto turned, too.

_What the hell is he going to do?_

"May I cross examine Mr. Uzumaki?" he asked the Judge.

_Of course, I was waiting for him to make himself known..._

The Judge, seeing no threat, obliged.

"Naruto." He said, turning his eyes to him.

Naruto's fists balled, a heavy tension filled the room.

"You care about my adopted son, don't you?" he asked.

Naruto visibly frowned at the use of the phrase "adopted son" but responded calmly.

"Yes."

"Would you be willing to say you love him?"

Naruto didn't even skip a beat.

"Yes."

Madara paced back and forth.

"So much that you would do..._anything_ for him?" he asked.

Naruto looked at him suspiciously, sensing something.

_Wait... I think I see where he's going with this..._

Naruto nodded truthfully.

"Yeah."

"Even lie for him?" he asked, smile growing on his lips.

_Naruto's too blunt. He's going to tell the truth..._

But he surprised me.

"I wouldn't go that far." He lied with ease.

Madara didn't even look slightly phased.

"I have a bit of evidence of my own..." Madara declared, dropping his gaze. "This evidence supports my own personal claim that this boy is indeed immature and impulsive, like he admitted to being, so much so that he'd lie for Sasuke on a consistent basis."

"Be more concise with your argument, Mr. Uchiha." The Judge ordered. "What are you trying to disprove?"

"Their counter-claim." He responded with ease. "Claiming that there was ever a time when I abused my own adopted son wrongly."

My fingernails were cutting into my palms. Naruto looked completely blank. Kakashi was watching him intently.

_We can't let this escalate._

"Would a video recording of my home be admissible in this court room?"

"You've already used one home security camera." The Judge pointed out. "Another is fine."

_Everyone's playing into his hands._

We all waited as he slipped the tape to the officer who set it up.

_He doesn't have a camera in the living room. So, what could he be showing? Where else?_

And then, on the screen, for everyone in the courtroom to see was my bedroom.

"Oh god no..." I found myself whispering.

We were both there, on camera, the night that we came home from the beach, that night... Together... Naruto was lying on my bed, pulling me down onto him, kissing me, caressing me. And then I finally broke, unable to stop the urges, and...

Naruto's mouth dropped open. Murmurs ensued. The people in the stands, and even the jurors began muttering amongst themselves. I felt like those whispers were the backdrop of my entire life.

On the video, our clothes came off and we went further. Naruto glanced at me and we locked eyes, our faces both turned an embarrassing shade of red that will never ever be reached by anyone else in life.

"Well, we don't have to get into all the sweaty details." He said, using the remote to pause the video. "But I think it's pretty obvious to everyone here that this boy loves my son. And he'd go as far as there is to go for him... Even if that meant lying for him in court."

I was so wrong in thinking I could win this case. The man that stood snickering before us all was eons smarter than I ever could've imagined. We lost.

Naruto

*Secrets Out*

After that, Kakashi called for a break and the Judge, seeming like he needed a pretty long break himself, quickly approved it. Kakashi led us out of the courtroom and to an empty holding room in the back, quite like the one Sasuke was in before he was released.

Sasuke and I both took seats at the table. Kakashi crossed his arms and leaned against the small window, his eyes were directed outside. Sasuke stared at the table in his usual expressionless way, though he looked inexplicably tense. Strangely, I felt like if I reached over and touched him he'd shatter into a million pieces of glass. No one moved.

_Looks like I'm going to have to say it..._

But before I could do or say anything, the door swung open. All three of us looked up to see four people rushing in.

"That was absolutely ridiculous."

"A clear violation of privacy."

"Can he even _do_ that?"

"We should sue him for unnecessary pain and suffering after all this is over..."

It was Itachi, Shisui, Konohamaru and Tsunade all muttering irritably. Tsunade was the last one in and she slammed the door shut... Then opened it and slammed it shut again, knocking a portrait off the wall on the other side.

"Watch it!" someone yelled.

"Screw you!" she shouted back.

"Dude, that was crazy!" Konohamaru said running around the table to me. "I didn't know you guys were-"

"Kono, shut up." I muttered.

"How were you guys allowed back here?" Kakashi said, tearing his eyes away from the window reluctantly.

"After we provided information stating that we were all legal family members of the two boys." Itachi said.

"And a bit of coaxing always works wonders." Shisui added.

"Coaxing?" Tsunade repeated, rolling her eyes. "Don't let these guys fool you. They're both bachelors with _no _kids and the security guards were twenty year old women with self esteem issues."

Shisui grinned sheepishly.

"This circumstance isn't surprising. It's just like Madara to pull something like that." Itachi said.

_Everyone's so down... Maybe I can fix it._

"We haven't lost yet." I told them all. "So what if they know what kind of relationship we have? He didn't even really prove anything, you know?"

I thought hard about the words that he'd said and pressed on.

"I mean, even if I would lie for Sasuke, there's still the evidence of the bruises all over him and after I testify and tell them what I saw him do, it'll be game over. They can't deny a witness testimony. We can still win this."

Everyone's eyes traveled to me slowly.

"You really don't get it, do you?"

I looked to Sasuke. It was the first words he'd said to me since that morning. I was sure my expression looked confused enough that I didn't have to answer.

"By showing that video, Madara was accomplishing two things. The obvious thing was, of course, showing that your relationship with him is a lot deeper than it looks and you'd lie for him he asked you to, but it was also done to slander both of you." Shisui explained.

Kakashi sighed.

"And it explains why Madara insisted on having at least two men on the panel." He muttered. "He must've been planning this from the start. Using the jurors own subconscious prejudices against them."

"Wait, wait... I don't get it." Konohamaru spoke up. "You're saying that they're gonna send him to jail 'cause he's gay now?"

"No." Itachi said. "But they'll be a lot less likely to trust either of them."

"That's bullshit!" Konohamaru exclaimed. "I could pop a cap in that old, greasy guy's ass right-"

"Kono! Shut. Up." Sasuke muttered.

I looked over at him, again surprised to hear him speak.

"It's over." He said, leaned back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling. "We lost. Let's all just forget about it."

"How could we forget something like this?" I asked.

He kept his eyes on the ceiling, ignoring me. I wanted to force him to look at me and respond but I knew it wouldn't help. Deep inside, he was probably hurting so much. I was, too. If I'd known all of this would've happened if I decided to be friends with Sasuke that night on the soccer field... Would I still have done it? Were those few days really the best days of my life? Would I ever trade them away?

My answer was yes... I closed my eyes and put my hands together like I was praying.

"I'll promise to never ever see him again if this works out. I swear it on my life... Just please... Don't send Sasuke to jail."

I didn't know who I was thinking to or why but there was no reply. Kakashi looked at his watch.

"I want to speak to the boys privately." He said. "Would it be alright if...?"

"Oh sure." Shisui said.

Everyone made their way out of the room silently and closed the door behind them. I looked over to Kakashi realizing that he hadn't looked at us the entire time we were there.

"Boys..." he muttered.

"What is it?" I asked.

He shook his head.

"When we were together at that first meeting, I asked if you if there were any surprises... Any secrets... Anything I should know."

_Oh... Right... _

"Somehow, this entire thing with your relationship didn't fall under the 'need to know' category?"

I was so mad at Sasuke that day, I hadn't even given it any real thought. Sasuke made an annoyed sound next to me.

"What we do in our free time isn't any of your business." He grumbled.

"I'm your lawyer." He pointed out.

"So, what?" Sasuke asked. "It's not the same thing as being our father."

I bent my head and looked at the table.

"We're sorry, Kakashi." I told him. "I guess this all could've been avoided-"

"Speak for yourself." Sasuke interrupted. "I don't give a shit."

I snapped, turning to him and grabbing his shirt.

"Are you done!?" I shouted at him. "God, I'm so sick and tired of your stupid 'jackass' act! Why can't you just admit that you care?"

"Because I don't!" he said, grabbing my wrist angrily.

"You're such a liar!" I accused.

"Get your hands off me!" he said, glaring at me.

"Why don't you _make _me, you bastard?!" I shouted.

"Can you guys stop griping like three year olds for just one second?" Kakashi asked.

Suddenly, Kakashi's cell phone beeped in his pocket. He looked at the screen and a dark expression crossed his face. He put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?" He said.

Sasuke pulled his shirt out of my grip.

"Just leave me alone."

I stared at his back and lowered my eyes to the ground.

"I know this is all my fault." I said.

"Yes, this is he." Kakashi continued.

"And I'm sorry." I whispered. "I wish it was me on trial instead of you."

He was silent.

"Please, Sasuke, I'm really sorry. I really am."

I grabbed his shoulder. He slowly turned around, sparing me a quick glance.

"I never said I blamed you...idiot." he whispered.

Even though his words were sharp, his eyes shimmered wet with tears. How did I end up liking this bastard who always means something different than what he says?

I drew closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder and he didn't shake me off.

"Boys."

We looked up as Kakashi ended his call.

"Looks like we have an angel."

*Game Over*

"Mr. Sasuke Uchiha?"

Sasuke looked up at the Judge.

"The charge against you states that you were at the Uchiha Manor at 7pm October 17th armed with a deadly weapon with the intent to use it to murder." He said. "What is your defense?"

Kakashi stepped forward, ready to make the claim for him but Sasuke spoke up.

"That's all true." He told him.

I looked at Sasuke, not at all surprised. Of course, a stubborn guy like him wouldn't 'stick to the story' like Kakashi told him to. He played by his own rules.

The people in the courtroom began muttering to each other. Madara grinned like some kind of twisted jack o' lantern.

"Explain." The Judge ordered him.

"I was at Madara's house that day with a deadly weapon and the intent to use it to murder my adopted father." He told him. "But that doesn't mean that I'm guilty. I never assaulted him."

The jurors all shook their heads like they didn't believe him. It was pretty difficult to swallow. If that really was him on camera, who's to say he didn't do it? The odds seemed to be stacked high against him.

"Still, threatening someone with a gun falls under the jurisdiction of armed assault. If this is true, that means you're-"

"Judge." Kakashi spoke up.

"Yes?" he asked.

"May I speak on Sasuke's behalf for a moment?"

"I don't see what else there is to say. The boy confessed."

"That is true. But as our counter-claim suggests, it is also prudent to point out that Mr. Uchiha here could have been suffering from Battered Woman Syndrome."

The Judge cocked his head.

"Proceed..." he allowed.

Kakashi walked around the counter.

"Battered Woman Syndrome." He said turning to the panel of mostly female jurors. "Is a defense that is not gender specific, but it is most commonly used in cases of domestic violence with women as the victims."

"In this circumstance, if a person, male or female, is charged with assault or murder but they can prove that they were being abused by the 'assaulted' or 'murdered' person on a consistent basis and could see no other way out, then the charged person must be released." He explained.

_Our ace in the hole._

Madara raised his hand.

"If you're referring to the pictures of his bruises that were found at the police station, those could've very easily been self-inflicted, the boy is very confused."

I gritted my teeth.

_Why don't you shut your stupid mouth?_

I felt Sasuke's hand on my knee.

_Right... Calm down._

"Or perhaps you were going to use his...ahem..._friend's_ eyewitness testimony as proof. However, the boy, and in extension all his family members, have been discredited."

_You think you're so smart._

"Naturally, both of those things would hold enormous weight here and I was planning on using them." Kakashi told him. "But on the contrary, it seems I have an unprecedented source of information."

"Is this source admissible in court?" Madara asked, looking to the Judge.

"Yes." Kakashi replied. "As I recall, our kind Judge here stated earlier that all home recordings from the Uchiha Manor are allowed as evidence because they've already been used."

Kakashi lifted a single sim card out of his briefcase and nodded to the officer who came and got it set up.

"The contents of that tape will be a mixture of a private tape recording from the Manor a couple of hours before Sasuke returned home to 'assault' Madara and a live recording of the happenings earlier that day."

Even though Sasuke's face was unreadable, under the table he grasped my hand. I rubbed his fingers tenderly.

_It'll be fine..._

The video started. Sasuke's hands were on my shoulders, pushing me into the closet and then, a millisecond later, his bedroom door swung open and Madara walked in. The audio sounded loud in the courtroom.

"Where have you been?"

The rest of the video played out. They spoke to each other and a false sense of security wafted over the courtroom. No one expected what happened next...

Madara abruptly turned to Sasuke and punched him. Strangely, on the video, the punch looked a lot worse than I remembered it. Like it could've broken his jaw.

Everyone in the courtroom slid forward on their seats, eyes wide and mouths open. They were all just as shocked as I was. But probably more so, this entire time they'd seen him as the purely professional C.E.O of a bank that was top of the line. Most of them probably had Uchiha Senju debit/credit cards in their wallets. I looked at Sasuke who had his eyes locked on the table steadily. I didn't blame him. I wouldn't want to relive that moment, or any of those moments, either. I continued rubbing his hand. My eyes traveled over to Madara. He sat, completely silent, and with his hands pressed together tensely. The video continued until Madara forced Sasuke over and jammed his knee up into his stomach. When Sasuke buckled over and fell to the ground, the courtroom buzzed with voices. Then when he started kicking him in the side, knocking the wind out of him and not giving him a chance to breathe, a few women on the jury panel pressed their hands to their mouths. I could hear sniffling behind me, like there were people crying. The voices got louder.

"I'll kick your ass _myself_, you bastard!" a man shouted.

"Who do you think you _are_?" someone else roared.

The video ended with me busting out of the closet and inserting myself between them both in an effort to protect Sasuke. Most of their eyes traveled to me... There was something there... At first I thought it was sympathy but the closer I looked, the more I realized it was...respect.

When Madara swung at me on video, a few people actually stood up and began making their way to the front of the courtroom. The officers had to restrain them to keep Madara safe.

"Order!" The Judge yelled, slamming his mallet down. "Everyone calm down!"

But the video had almost caused a wildfire. For his safety, Madara was surrounded by three officers, but half of me believed it was less to keep an eye on the audience and more to keep an eye on him. It took a while to get everyone quiet but when he finally did, he looked to Genma, Madara's lawyer.

"Do you have anything to say in Madara's defense?"

Genma munched on his toothpick and shook his head.

"No." then he looked over at Sasuke. "But I _would _like to say that... I'm sorry you had to endure all this."

Sasuke looked up at him and nodded curtly.

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Madara suddenly yelled out. "Clearly, it's all a scheme!"

Everyone turned to him.

"Who's to say that the video wasn't tampered with?" he asked. "It has no grounds in court!"

"I also have the tags on the actual Sim card proving that they came from your recording device." Kakashi said quickly.

"How could you have gotten those tags?!" he asked. "That's breaking and entering! He's the one who should be on trial! They're stealing my personal information, that's a felony!"

"Madara, that is neither here nor there. We are not on trial for breaking and entering... We're on trial for a domestic violence case in which you violently and willingly assaulted a child who was supposed to be in your care." Kakashi replied coolly.

Madara's glare left him and settled on Sasuke and I.

"The boy's obviously concocted this entire plan to slander me! I'm a world renowned businessman. I have branches in almost every country on this Earth." He exclaimed. "Look at the boy's face! It's clear this entire thing is a lie! He can't even look at me!"

Sasuke's eyes slowly opened. He turned to Madara and opened his mouth.

"I'm not like you." Was all he said.

Sasuke

*Verdict*

Four or five hours of deliberation later, we were all called back into the courtroom. Madara looked noticeably more disheveled than he had before. We weren't allowed to look on our phones but I snuck a couple of headlines when Kakahsi wasn't paying attention. After that video, the entire public opinion of Madara had turned on its head. People were already making spoof videos of him and outside the courthouse, there was a crowd of people taking their bank cards out of their wallets and burning them on the street.

We were all seated in the courtroom again. The Judge nodded to the jury and then a man stood up and directed himself to Madara, who glared at them all.

"For the felonies of gross child neglect, aggravated child abuse, and assault and battery, Madara Uchiha is found guilty of all charges."

Everyone in the courtroom seemed to nod but no one spoke, no one was allowed to.

_Now, we're just waiting to see if I'll be locked up with him._

A woman stood and looked at me. By her facial expression, I already could sense the verdict.

_...Really?_

"For the felony of armed assault and armed aggression, this jury finds Sasuke Uchiha not guilty of all charges." Said one of the women.

"This case is dismissed." The Judge ruled.

(Play Katy Perry- Roar)

Everyone began getting up. Madara was quickly grabbed by the officers surrounding him.

"Release me! Get your filthy hands off my brand new suit!"

But no one was listening to his ridiculous pleas. The officer in front of me pulled the wooden gate open and pointed toward the door all the way at the back of the courtroom.

"You're free to go." He told me.

I looked around, strangely, everything seemed like it was happening in slow motion. Naruto held his hand out to me. He grinned, his blond hair falling lightly over his crystal clear blue eyes.

_I'm free... I'm free... I'm free to be with you._

I grabbed his hand allowing him to pull me to my feet.

_And I want to be with you more than anything._

We exited the courtroom, hand in hand, and it seemed like a majority of the citizens of Konoha were standing there behind the gates, cheering and hollering.

"Hey, look it's the guys!" Naruto said.

And of course, among all the strangers, were our friends. That's right _our_ friends. Holding signs saying "Free Sasuke" and "Stop Child Abuse Now".

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Itachi coming up behind me, smiling. Shisui was on his other side and Tsunade and Konohamaru came next to Naruto. Kakashi descended the steps ahead of us.

"I already prepared a limo." He called to us. "What's your favorite restaurant, Sasuke? Let's go."

_That guy... Like he knew we were going to win all along._

"Hey, Kakashi, can we roll that bad boy past my friends' houses? They are gonna shit _bricks_!" Kono exclaimed, launching himself down the steps.

"Thank God, all this stress has me _starving_." Shisui said, walking along.

"I agree." Itachi said, descending the steps after him.

"Hopefully, whatever restaurant you pick has a good wine, Sasuke. I can't have dinner without wine." Tsunade remarked over her shoulder.

"Come on, guys!" Konohamaru called, already pushing through the crowds of media and pedestrians. "Hurry up!"

But before I followed them, I turned to Naruto and softly pressed my lips to his cheek. He backed up, blushing slightly.

"Thank you." I told him.

He grinned bashfully. "No... Thank_ you_."

Itachi

*The Bad News*

"Those two have been inseparable since that hearing." Shisui remarked.

Kakashi, Shisui and I stood on the back porch of Shisui's house watching Naruto and Sasuke lie on a blanket in the backyard and stargaze. Their voices traveled to us.

"You're free so why don't you get excited about it?"

"I am excited."

"You're not showing it." Naruto pointed out. "Come on, say it! Say 'I'm not going to jail'!"

"I'm not going to jail." He muttered.

"Louder."

"I'm not going to jail." He said raising his voice slightly.

"You sound like a freaking pansy. Say it with your chest!"

"I'm not going to jail!"

"Scream IT!"

"I'M NOT GOING TO JAIL!" Sasuke hollered, voice echoing throughout the neighborhood.

Naruto laughed and tackled him to the grass.

"You're damn right you're not!"

I was surprised to see Sasuke laughing and allowing Naruto to pin him down. It was obvious how much he had changed him.

"So, when are you going to tell them?" I asked Kakashi.

He looked up from the beer he was drinking.

"That perceptive, huh?" he asked. "You'd make a good law student."

"Business is my forte." I told him.

"I wanted them to have a couple more hours of..." Kakashi trailed off.

We both watched them wrestling on the blanket.

_More hours of whatever that is..._

"You really care about my brother, don't you?" I asked.

"I care about all my cases... But I must admit, there's no one quite like those two."

"Sasuke! I don't give a crap which stars make up the big dipper, okay? This isn't biology class!"

"You mean astronomy, you idiot." Sasuke replied tersely.

Shisui laughed.

"Yeah, their chemistry is really interesting. They fight like an old married couple." He said.

"Well, now's as good a time to tell them." I said. "Tell them that because the evidence you acquired to free Sasuke is from an unknown source, he's still in danger and he must immediately be admitted into the witness protection program."

We all sipped our drinks quietly.

"Can't you keep your hands to yourself for once?" Sasuke exclaimed.

"You know you like it!" Naruto retorted.

"Actually, I have a pretty good idea who the source is." Kakashi said. "By what Sasuke told me, it seems Madara was pretty close friends with the owners of his opposing banking firm, the Bank of the Sound."

"Really?" asked Shisui raising his eyebrows. "Well, that explains it. They double crossed him."

"Precisely." I said. "Kabuto and Orochimaru were never friends of theirs."

"And that also explains why those tape recordings of Obito and Madara confessing to planning the murder of your parents and attempted murder of Sasuke surfaced at the police station a couple of hours ago." Kakashi informed us. "Now, Obito's been arrested and the entire banking firm had to place an inexperienced man as their head."

I shook my head.

"It'll take me a couple years to rise through the corporation and take the C.E.O chair." I said. "They're planning to gain as much power as they can through those few years of weak power."

Shisui nudged me.

"Well, when you get the chair, they'll go running, so it won't be an issue."

I smiled at him. We all looked on to Naruto and Sasuke who were finally quiet. Naruto lay on his back holding Sasuke to his chest and stroking his hair. Periodically, he'd point up at the sky and whisper something.

"But the knowledge of who sent the Sim cards won't be enough." Kakashi said. "Judge Tobirama Senju secretly made the ruling that he'd have to be moved to an undisclosed location with you both, his guardians. His name is too known around this small town. He's going to have to leave Konoha, change his phone number, and delete any social networking sites he ever created."

Shisui shook his head sourly.

"Now I'm going to have to get a job somewhere else." He said, then he laughed. "Ah, well. I guess I knew the risks when I answered your phone call that day, 'Tachi."

I looked at Kakashi who was looking up at the stars, quietly sipping his drink.

"Will there be any hope for return?" I asked.

He shook his head without even glancing at me.

"No."

Beyond us, Naruto and Sasuke laughed quietly. Sharing in some private joke we'll never understand.

Sasuke

*The End*

(Tori Kelly – Dear No One)

I couldn't stop the shaking of my hands as I neared Itachi's BMW. Our bags were already in the back. Thunder roared over head. The sky was dark, almost black, but it was only 2pm.

I looked up and down the street. It was deserted.

_I wouldn't blame him for not coming... This is... Too much..._

Itachi put his arm around my shoulders.

"Do you want to wait another hour?"

Before I could answer, a car's engine sounded around the corner. I could tell that car from an hour away. I didn't want to seem so anxious but my feet were moving before I gave them the cue. The orange car parked on the side of the street and I ran out to meet them. Konohamaru, Tsunade and Naruto got out of the car. Itachi and Shisui came up on either side of me. We all looked at each other and then Tsunade stepped forward.

"Thank you for helping him pass Algebra." She said. "Perhaps now he'll actually get into a college."

Naruto rolled his eyes and looked away. Konohamaru stepped forward with that characteristic gray beanie pulled over his spiky brown hair.

"You taught me a lot, man." He said, shuffling his feet awkwardly. "So... I'm quitting the game."

I nodded and ruffled his hair, bringing him into my chest for a hug. He grinned.

"The next time I see you, I'll be in the national honors society, too!" he said.

"You have to pass the fifth grade first." Tsunade muttered, crossing her arms.

And finally, the last person. The one it was breaking my heart to even look at.

"You know what? I just realized I forgot to lock the door." Shisui stated.

"Yeah, and I have to make sure the gas tank is full." Itachi said, hurrying quickly after him.

"And there was something I wanted to ask you Itachi, come on, Kono, let's go ask him that question."

"What question?" Kono asked.

Tsunade rolled her eyes and pulled his ear.

"Just come on."

I finally allowed my eyes to settle on him. He wore a pair of dark orange jeans and a black hoodie with the "Konoha Kyubbi's" swirl symbol in orange on the center. His black and white Nikes made him look slightly taller than usual. The sky rumbled over head and I felt a small droplet of rain.

"I feel like this is all my fault..." he whispered.

I raised my eyebrows.

"I said that if you got out of jail, I'd be alright with being apart from you, even if it was forever." He confessed.

"Would you rather I stayed in jail?" I asked.

He looked appalled.

"Of course not!" he exclaimed. "I'd rather you be free and happy without me than miserable with me."

The rain began to fall steadily, drenching our hair. We both pretended not to notice it.

"That's strange... I'd began thinking of you and 'happy' as two things that can never be separated."

He smiled.

"Leave it to you to be all sentimental now of all times." He replied, throwing his hands behind his head. "You're so confusing."

I quickly stepped toward him and pressed my lips to his which were wet with the taste of rain. He leaned into me, kissing me back. Somehow, knowing that that very well could be the last time, there was a million things I wanted to do. A million things I wanted to say. I wanted time to stop, freezing us in that moment when he parted his lips slightly and our tongues met momentarily but then he took a solid step back.

He grinned at me.

"You'll be late, you know? If you don't hurry..."

I nodded. Tsunade and Konohamaru were coming back toward him.

"I...love you." I found myself saying, more for lack of time to say anything else meaningful.

He continued grinning. I smiled back. It was really stupid. We were both hurting so much but covering it all up with these dumb facial expressions. But then, his grin slowly faded. His lip trembled, even if it was just slightly, and his face became wet with something that was not rain. The droplets fell from his chin and onto his jacket.

"Sasuke, I'll never stop loving you. Forever, okay? I promise it on my life."

I hugged him.

"I know that."

"I swear I won't."

"Okay."

I took a step back, for the first time noticing the crystal blue necklace hanging down on the front of his hoodie matching his eyes perfectly. I impulsively raised my hand and grasped it with my finger tips.

"Soulmates." I found myself saying.

The doors of his Camero slammed behind us, signaling to him that they were ready to go. Naruto succeeded in wiping his face and then looked down at me questioningly.

"You said you believe you have a soulmate...didn't you?" I asked him.

He looked at me and I looked back, the moment was ephemeral but the meaning was clear. He raised his hands to his necklace and pulled it over his head then in a swift movement that I couldn't predict, he tugged it down over my ears and onto my shoulders.

"I still believe it." He finally said.

Itachi and Shisui pulled up in the car next to me. I pulled my hand away from Naruto's and turned, forcing myself not to look back.

"Ready to start all over?" Itachi asked me as I slid into the backseat.

I gazed out the window watching the blur of the rain on the window glass and the green leaves beyond. I spun the crystal around in my fingers.

_Not if I have to start over without him..._

Naruto

*The Beginning*

(Play Kishidan- Omae Dattanda)

"Kono, either you get the red and black ones, or you get the gold and black ones." I said irritably.

He threw his hands up in anguish.

"I love red but gold will make me look _so_ fly! _All_ the girls will be on me, man!"

"Correction, _one_ girl will be on you and her name is Tsunade."

He rolled his eyes shoving me.

"Come on, it's just your stupid high school graduation party." I said. "You're lucky your grades are so good now that they let you graduate on time."

He rolled his eyes and put the red and black ones in the box finally opting for the gold Supras. He straightened his navy blue and green beanie hat, a stupid style he never kicked, and rolled up the sleeves of his green and white NorthSide Konoha Soccer jersey shirt.

"What's next?" he asked as we left the shoe store. "I got a date with Hannabi later and Inari wants to meet us both for a movie after."

"The suit store." I said making a face. "Tsunade's so pressed about me dressing formally for that stupid convocation of hers."

"Yeah, I remember. She has to talk to the Cloud State students about how to never give up and you can always turn your life around... Blah, Blah, Blah."

"After it took her a good seven years to get a job and sober up after quitting being a doctor." I remarked.

We both snickered.

"But after that, we'll get back to my apartment. Gaara, Kiba and Shikamaru want to try out my new Xbox one."

"You guys are twenty one years old playing video games. Grow the hell up." He muttered, fitting his neon green sunglasses over his eyes.

"Whatever. You're the same seventeen year old, still crying every time he sees his adoption papers."

He shoved me and frowned.

"Shut up. I'm actually impressed any of those guys ended up going to Kage University with you." He said. "I thought they were all idiots."

I shrugged.

"I guess when I told everyone I was going somewhere, they realized shit got real." I said, laughing. "I'm the worst student they know. If I got into college, they'd have no excuse."

We stopped next to an ice cream kiosk and continued down the mall strip a couple of blocks away from Kage University. I bent down and picked up a quarter I dropped while I was buying Konohamaru a cone.

"Suigetsu! You're such an idiot!"

"Hey, you expect me to see you coming up here in that short as hell skirt and _not_ say anything, Karin?"

"You guys are always arguing."

"Jugo's right. At this rate, we'll never make it back to KU in time for the Transfer Student Orientation."

_That last voice..._

"Why don't you just admit that you like her skirt, Suigetsu?" the same voice asked.

"Okay... Hey, Karin. Turn yo' fine ass around and lemee see dem cheeks."

I turned around, dropping my quarter again at what I saw.

He stood there... In a pair of light blue slim fitted jeans, a black Ralph Lauren polo with a red horse rider symbol and a pair of black and red hightop Adidas sneakers.

They all laughed at what the boy with dyed white hair said to the girl with dyed pinkish red hair. Slowly, as if by a magnetic force no one could comprehend, his head turned.

The sun radiated off of his jet black hair. He slowly swept the locks out of his onyx eyes to get a better look at me. And even slower than that, a smile stretched upon his face.

But still I wouldn't have believed it. I would've thought that I'd gone crazy or that I was seeing things if it wasn't for the gift... That bright blue crystal necklace sitting on his shoulders and reflecting the sunlight so perfectly on his chest.

"Yo... Usuratonkachi."

_Soulmates... I _do_ believe. _

(That's all guys! Thank You SO much for reading! It's been a blast! )


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